KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s solar revolution is transforming rooftops, industries, and farmlands — offering relief from crippling power tariffs and grid instability. Yet beneath the glow of clean energy lies a growing environmental threat that experts say the country can no longer afford to ignore.
In the past few years, the country has witnessed an unprecedented surge in solar installations, with factories, households, and agricultural setups rapidly turning to renewable energy to escape rising electricity costs and prolonged outages. Solar energy’s share in Pakistan’s power mix has nearly tripled in recent years, with some rural regions now meeting a quarter of their energy needs through solar systems.
But as the panels multiply, so do the problems. Environmentalists warn that Pakistan lacks a structured system for handling solar waste — a looming crisis as thousands of panels, inverters, and batteries approach the end of their 10–25-year lifespan. Without proper disposal or recycling mechanisms, toxic materials like lead and lithium could seep into soil and water, turning clean energy into a new source of pollution.
Environmental expert Rafiul Haq cautioned that without a national policy for solar e-waste, Pakistan may soon be “trading one crisis for another.” He added that the absence of recycling facilities and waste collection systems could turn the solar boom into an ecological hazard.
Adding to the complexity, the rapid shift to off-grid solar systems is also hurting the national power grid, as wealthier consumers move away from traditional electricity sources. This transition, experts say, is deepening the financial burden on public utilities and pushing tariffs higher for lower-income households still dependent on the grid.
Meanwhile, in agricultural zones like southern Punjab, solar-powered tube wells have triggered over-extraction of groundwater, further stressing an already fragile ecosystem.
Experts are now urging the government to adopt a comprehensive solar policy — one that goes beyond installation targets to include waste management, groundwater regulation, and long-term sustainability.
Pakistan’s solar journey has undoubtedly brightened its energy outlook, but without responsible governance, this clean power success could leave behind an environmental mess too costly to clean.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.