Lahore to Implement Cleanliness Fee in Upscale Areas From Sept 1

Residents and shopkeepers in Lahore’s upscale neighborhoods will begin paying a new cleanliness fee from September 1, with utility bills reflecting the charges. These areas will be designated as “zero-waste zones”, where strict penalties will apply for both littering and non-payment.

Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) CEO Babir Sahib Din confirmed that the fee will be applied to both residential and commercial properties in major areas including Gulberg, Johar Town, Muslim Town, New Muslim Town, Shadman, Faisal Town, Garden Town, Upper Mall, Canal Road, Mall Road, and Jail Road. Private housing societies remain excluded as they manage their own waste systems.

According to Din, the initiative had been in discussion for some time and was approved by the provincial government to improve sanitation standards. The project begins with upscale neighborhoods in the first phase and will later expand across the city. The Punjab cabinet had earlier cleared this plan under the Suthra Punjab Programme, with province-wide implementation expected within two months.

An LWMC spokesperson warned that households failing to clear dues within two months will face suspension of waste collection services, while illegal dumping will result in fines or even FIRs.

Cleanliness Fee Structure: Five-marla houses will be billed Rs300 per month, 10-marla homes Rs500, and one-kanal and larger properties Rs1,000. Commercial units will be charged between Rs500 and Rs3,000 depending on business size, while rural households may pay Rs200 each.

Din added that similar measures will soon extend to posh areas of Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, and Sargodha, all of which will also be declared “zero-waste zones.”

Authorities stressed that the cleanliness fee is designed not only to fund waste management sustainably but also to instill a greater sense of civic responsibility among citizens.