Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sets 15-Day Deadline for Full Cleanliness Improvement Under Suthra Punjab
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered a complete overhaul of sanitation services within 15 days, including a shift to self-operated waste management in four major cities and daily washing of main roads.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed authorities to deliver a 100 percent improvement in cleanliness across the province within 15 days, issuing the order during a special review meeting on the Suthra Punjab program. The session assessed the initiative's performance and set out measures to strengthen sanitation services in both urban and rural areas.
A key decision taken at the meeting was to move away from solid waste management companies in Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujranwala and Faisalabad, following dissatisfaction with their performance. Under the new arrangement, waste management in these cities will be handled through self-operated systems, and the chief minister asked for a final accounting of the savings achieved through this transition.
Expressing concern over dust and dirt on roads, Maryam Nawaz instructed that main roads be washed daily. She also ordered penalties for people who dump waste in markets, including fruit, vegetable and grain markets, with fines to be imposed on anyone who litters after cleaning teams have finished their work. The meeting also considered fines for owners of vacant plots where garbage accumulates, though no final decision was announced.
The chief minister directed that villages be cleaned on alternate days and asked all deputy commissioners to submit details of the machinery required for cleanliness operations. She called for Key Performance Indicators to assess officers' performance and instructed deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners to meet Field Monitoring Officers every week.
In addition, Maryam Nawaz ordered that sanitation workers' salaries be paid on time in every city and locality, and directed deputy commissioners to physically verify the machinery and equipment available in their districts. Targets were set to ensure every district has sufficient sanitation staff and machinery.
Deputy commissioners from Multan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Hafizabad and Muzaffargarh, along with officials from other districts, presented progress reports at the meeting. The directives signal a push toward greater accountability and locally managed sanitation operations across Punjab.
