Water projects bag most funds

PSDP also includes construction of Tenth Avenue

ISLAMABAD: With the federal capital increasingly water-stressed apart from facing problems with dealing with its wastewater, the federal government on Friday included projects worth over Rs4 billion which address water issues of the city amid a total allocation of over Rs7 billion.

The government also earmarked funds for the development of roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects in the city.

According to budget documents for the fiscal year 2020-21, the federal government has approved Rs200 million for the construction of water treatment plants on the Korang River and Rawal Lake. The plants are being built on the directions of the Supreme Court. The government has earmarked an additional Rs300 million for other sewerage and water supply schemes in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

With water supply one of the bigger issues of the city, the federal government has allocated Rs400 million of conducting a feasibility study for the first phase of a project to bring water to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi from the Indus River at Tarbela dam (Ghazi-Barotha project). The scheme will also provide water to the Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards in Rawalpindi.

Moreover, the government also allocated Rs3.155 billion to acquire land for the first phase of this project, indicating its seriousness to kick start the project. The government had also allocated Rs500 million for the estimated Rs90 billion project to lay a 60-kilometre-long, 80 inch-wide pipeline from the Tarbela Dam at Ghazi Barotha to a water treatment plant at Sangjani in Islamabad.

Among the other development projects earmarked for the federal capital, the federal government has earmarked Rs1 billion in the fiscal year 2020-21 for the construction of Tenth Avenue in Islamabad. Presented by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and approved by the CDWP, the 7.6 kilometre-long avenue will be constructed over three phases for a total of Rs11.078 billion.

In the first phase, a section of Tenth Avenue will be constructed from Kashmir Highway to Service Road North in Sector I-9 and I-10 for Rs3.901 billion. In the second phase, the section from Sector I-9/I-10 will be built up to the IJ Principal Road for an estimated Rs3.451 billion. In the third phase, a section from Kashmir Highway to Khayaban-e-Iqbal will be built for Rs3.725 billion.  Construction of the avenue was part of the capital’s Master Plan and is aimed at easing traffic congestion on Faqeer Appi Road and Ninth Avenue.

The project will also include the construction of overhead bridges at Margalla Railway station, the underpass at Sector H-9-H-10 intersection, an interchange on Kashmir Highway, Rehabilitation and resettlement of slums in Sector H-9, the underpass at Sector I-9 -I-10 intersection, box culvert -nullah bridge, an interchange at IJP Road, the underpass at Sector G-9/G-10, the underpass at Ibne-e-Sina Road, the underpass at Jinnah Avenue and underpass at F-9, F-10.

Moreover, the federal government has earmarked Rs300 million in the fiscal year 2020-21 for the construction of a flyover and approaches to the railway line at Sihala. Further, a sum of Rs800 million for the construction of the Korang Bridge and an underpass at PWD.

Further, the government has set aside Rs500 million for the development infrastructure in 11 suburban and rural union council’s of the federal capital including Sohan, Rawal Town, Chak Shahzad, Saidpur, Noorpur, Shahan Malpur, Kot Hathial (North), Kot Hathial (south) Phulgran, Pind Begwal and Kuri.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2020.