The Punjab government has approved only five uplift schemes from the Annual Development Programme (ADP) sent by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) for the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for the financial year 2023-24.
On the other hand, the Ghazi Barotha water supply project – the most important and long-term project for supplying 200 million gallons of water per day to the twin cities from the Indus River in the first phase at a cost of Rs22,978 million – has been dropped. In addition, a large number of development schemes have also been dropped from the ADP.
The WASA had prepared the ADP of over Rs51.85 billion for the current as well as the next fiscal year for the new development schemes of water supply and sent it to the Punjab government for final approval.
According to sources, the authority had sent the ADP worth more than Rs51 billion for the new financial year to the Punjab government for approval, but only five schemes were approved from this plan.
Under the approved schemes, four sewage treatment plants will be installed in the catchment area of Rawal Lake at a cost of Rs5,244.700 million. Rs7,918.933 million have been allocated for Chahan Dam Water Supply Project. Rs200 million will be spent to improve the sewerage system in Satellite Town. Rs14,753.633 million have been earmarked for land acquisition of the Daducha Dam Water Supply Project while under the 5th development scheme, funds of Rs400 million have been allocated for the upgradation of the water treatment plant and testing laboratory of Rawal Dam Lake.
On the other hand, the schemes dropped from the ADP are the water supply scheme of Union Council (UC) 76, 77, 78 and 80 costing Rs900 million; water supply pipelines of UC 75, 77 and 78 costing Rs80 million; water supply scheme of UC 80 to 82 costing Rs200 million.
In other projects, Rs392 million had to be spent for the drainage system in New Chakar, Rs255 million for the drainage system in Dhamman Syedan, Rs350 million for the water supply system of Garja, Rs215 million for improvement of the water supply scheme in Kalyal, Rs250 million for improvement of drainage system in UC Kalyal, and Rs195 million for the improvement sewage drainage system of UCs five to 12.
Other schemes which were dropped include the improvement of the sewerage system of Asghar Mall Scheme, sewage and water supply scheme in UCs 42, 43, 45, 75 and 77, water supply scheme for UCs Lakhan, Mohri Ghazn and Dhamyal, drainage system in UC Chak Jalal Din, Garja and Mohri Ghazn, new tube wells in UCs 1, 4, 12, 37 and 38 and the upgradation of the sewage system in UCs 1 to 12 and 36, 37 and 38.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2023.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ