Lahore’s Mehmood Booti landfill to become solar park and urban forest

The transformation of Lahore Waste Management Company’s (LWMC) waste dumping site in Mehmood Booti into a solar park and urban forestry area is progressing rapidly. Authorities anticipate completing the first phase of the project by July this year, with the second phase expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

Methane gas emissions from the landfill will be converted into usable energy through an investment of five billion rupees, and the project is also set to generate carbon credits.

The towering waste heaps near Mehmood Booti, north of Lahore Ring Road, have long contributed to environmental pollution and health risks for local residents, particularly LWMC workers, due to the persistent odor and methane emissions.

However, the 42-acre landfill, which once stood nearly 80 feet high, is now being covered with soil and transformed into a solar park and urban forest.

Most of Lahore’s waste was historically dumped at this site until 2016 when it was closed, and waste disposal was shifted to a new site in Lakhodair, which is now also nearing full capacity.

In 2023, the caretaker government initiated a feasibility study for the conversion of Mehmood Booti into a solar energy park and recreational space. The current provincial administration has now incorporated this initiative into the Chief Minister’s “Clean Punjab” program.

The Lahore Waste Management Company and Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) are jointly overseeing the project. According to LWMC CEO Babar Sahib Deen, the landfill will be used to extract gas, which will be sold to nearby industries.

For this purpose, large plastic pipes, approximately one foot in diameter, have been installed at various points across the landfill to capture methane gas emissions.

In addition to gas extraction, an 11-acre solar park is being developed atop the site, expected to generate approximately five megawatts of electricity. Meanwhile, the surrounding 31-acre area will be dedicated to urban forestry, featuring tree plantations and walking trails.

RUDA CEO Imran Amin emphasized that the transformation of Mehmood Booti has turned a former waste dump into a lucrative asset, projected to generate substantial revenue.

The project will yield economic benefits for the next two decades through carbon credits, biogas, and electricity production. Officials estimate that the sale of carbon credits alone will generate two to three billion rupees annually, while electricity from the solar park will be commercially viable.

Additionally, biogas production from the landfill is expected to contribute billions of rupees to Punjab’s revenue stream. The feasibility for the carbon credit program has already been completed.

Carbon credits, also known as certified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, are generated when a company, individual, or institution undertakes projects that reduce or eliminate greenhouse gases.

One metric ton of reduced or eliminated greenhouse gas emissions equates to one carbon credit, which can be sold on the carbon market for anywhere between five to fifty US dollars, depending on the project’s quality.

Authorities estimate that this project could generate between five hundred thousand to one million US dollars annually through carbon credit sales.

Local residents have expressed their appreciation for the initiative. Haji Muhammad Munir Mughal, a local community leader and businessman, noted that the odor and gas emissions from the landfill had previously forced many residents to relocate, with visitors also avoiding the area.

He welcomed the government’s efforts to rehabilitate the site into an environmentally friendly space. He further urged authorities to extend similar environmental projects to the Lakhodair dumping site, which is also nearing full capacity.

Government officials have confirmed that work will soon commence at the Lakhodair dumping site. They believe these initiatives will play a transformative role in improving Lahore’s air quality and overall urban environment.