Pindi's mega projects delayed again

Despite repeated announcements, key uplift schemes could not be launched in 2025

RAWALPINDI:

Despite repeated announcements throughout the year, the Rawalpindi District Council, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and the District Development Committee failed to launch 13 development projects in Rawalpindi city, cantonment and rural areas in 2025.

All these mega projects have now been shifted to the 2026 development list.

Throughout the year, officials of these institutions continued making tall claims and feeding the media about the imminent launch of these projects, but they have now disappeared from the scene.

The stalled projects include the Leh Expressway, Mother and Child Hospital, Ghazi Brotha Water Project, Daducha Dam Project, Chahan Dam Water Supply Scheme, completion of the Ring Road, five commercial parking plazas, restoration of the 120-year-old Sajjan Singh Building, rainwater storage projects, a citywide sewerage system including a sewerage tunnel and wastewater recycling project and rehabilitation of dilapidated government school buildings that have remained in poor condition for over 20 years.

Meanwhile, the Miyawaki forest project aimed at controlling environmental pollution and a poultry farming programme that had been running profitably for four years were completely discontinued.

The estimated cost of the Leh Expressway initially stood at Rs17 billion, which has now surged to Rs70 billion.

The sewerage tunnel project cost increased from Rs30 billion to Rs50 billion. The Ghazi Brotha Water Project, originally estimated at Rs19 billion, has crossed Rs100 billion, rendering it permanently unviable. The Daducha Dam project cost rose from Rs6 billion to Rs15 billion, while rainwater storage projects escalated from Rs100 million to Rs500 million.

The Mother and Child Hospital consumed Rs10 billion, with the building, air-conditioning and all construction work completed, while machinery worth Rs1.5 billion remained pending. After the change in regime, the project was shelved, and renovation costs for the machinery have now climbed to Rs4 billion.

The restoration cost of the historic Sajjan Singh Building increased from Rs5 million to Rs20 million.

The 38-kilometre Ring Road was scheduled for completion by December 31, 2025, but was halted due to lack of funds. Its new deadline is March 31, 2026, with a sharp increase in estimated cost. Due to these delays, Rawalpindi residents continue to face severe water shortages and daily traffic congestion. This year, no development funds were allocated to the District Council Rawalpindi, RDA, WASA or the Municipal Corporation.

As a result, 2025 proved to be an extremely disappointing year for Rawalpindi in terms of development.

Convener of the District Development Coordination Committee and MNA Engineer Qamarul Islam said that, for the first time, a people-friendly development government had come to power in Punjab.

He claimed that all these projects would be launched in the New Year, adding that the upcoming fiscal budget would be a fully development-oriented budget.