ADB reviews Mingora’s water supply project

Greater water supply scheme to mitigate ‘climate change impacts’

PESHAWAR:

The Mingora Greater Water Supply and Neighborhood Park Project under Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources, promoting tourism, and significantly improving the overall health of the city’s inhabitants.

This was said by commissioner Malakand while briefing five-member team of directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The team comprised of directors Moushomi Khan, Keiko Tahakashi, Alberto Carden, Noor Ahmad, Senior Project Officer Umar Ali Shah, and Asad Aleem.

The KPCIP management unit, under the chairmanship of Commissioner Malakand Saqib Aslam Raza, briefed the ADB team on the technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects of the projects. KPCIP Director Technical Mian Muhammad Shakeel, Director Compliance Amir Alam Khan and Director Finance Qazi Raees were also present on the occasion.

The commissioner emphasised the importance of the water supply project for the city, especially given the rising population. He also highlighted the city’s historic and cultural significance, with special reference to Buddhist heritage sites.

“Population growth has significantly increased the burden on water resources, and climate change has exacerbated the situation further,” he said. He noted that the floods in 2010, 2015, and 2022 had severely impacted the district’s infrastructure, particularly in the city. The commissioner expressed hope that the water supply scheme would address the water shortage and help preserve groundwater resources for future generations.

Under the scheme, water from the River Swat will be tapped and supplied through a pipeline to a water treatment plant, where it will be treated using a rapid treatment system. The treated water will then be distributed through a 485-kilometer-long pipeline network. The treatment plant will process 30 million gallons per day.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2024.