Three major development projects for Rawalpindi — the Nullah Leh Expressway, the sewage treatment plant and the Rawalpindi Ring Road — are likely to hit a snag as the Punjab government has expressed reluctance to issue funds in the financial year 2022-23.
A source at the Rawalpindi Development Authority claimed that the provincial government has conveyed its message to the civic agency about the hold up of funds.
The Nullah Leh Expressway initially envisaged in 2007 had been estimated to cost Rs17 billion which was put on hold in 2008 when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government came to power. Since then, no headway had been made on the vital project its estimated cost has increased to Rs105 billion. In case of further delay, an exponential increase in its cost is expected to swell further.
The proposed Nullah Leh will remain open while water flow during the monsoon season, an estimated 0.1 million cusecs will flow through it.
The Nullah Leh will have 12 feet wide road on both sides with barriers to protect it from the intrusion of humans and animals. Trunk sewers will be laid under the Leh Expressway to transport wastewater to the city. The sewers will join together in the Soan River from where the wastewater will be transported to the WASA treatment plant in Gorakhpur.
After treatment, the treated water will be channelled to the Soan River again which will be used for irrigation.
The sewage treatment plant was envisaged in 2005 and at that time, its estimated cost was put at Rs15 billion, which has now increased to Rs30 billion.
Earlier, the Punjab government had given formal approval for setting up a sewage treatment plant along with a 20-kilometre-long sewerage tunnel for the safe disposal of wastewater that aims to minimise environmental pollution in Rawalpindi.
Officials had said that the Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide the required funding for the project, which will cost Rs30 billion.
Earlier, the Executive Committee National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved a sewage treatment plant for Rawalpindi.
Similarly, work on the 38.3 kilometre-long Rawalpindi Ring Road project has almost been halted after its inauguration last month.
While the Ring Road project dates back to 2002 and was initially estimated to cost Rs22 billion has now increased to over Rs50 billion. Similarly, in case of any further delay, its estimated cost will further balloon.
Former prime minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of Ring Road on March 19. Some work has been done on it but now work on it has been stopped.
Sources said that technical hurdles were being raised by the provincial government for the delay of the Ring Road project.
RDA former chairman Tariq Murtaza said that they did a lot of work on the three projects. He said that the decision of not allocating funds for these three projects which are vital for Rawalpindi was reprehensible.
He further said that the PTI will soon return to power in elections and will resume these three projects.
Since the inauguration of the project, no agreement has been reached between the FWO and the project director regarding the execution of the Ring Road project.
The new price for land acquisition has not yet been completed as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2022.
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