Water supply: Seven new schemes in rural areas

Islamabad Capital Territory Administration will upgrade 3 existing ones as well to ensure provision of potable water.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration will launch seven new water supply schemes and upgrade three existing ones to ensure the provision of potable water.

Two ongoing schemes relating to the upgradation and rehabilitation of water supply facilities will also be implemented, for which funds amounting to Rs276.421 million have been allocated in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

According to Interior Ministry on Sunday, the proposal for construction, completion of new water supply schemes as well as upgradation and rehabilitation of the existing schemes costs Rs1.01 billion.

The ministry said that during the last five years, five new water supply schemes have been implemented, while eight existing schemes were upgraded and rehabilitated at the total cost of Rs439.974 million. In addition, small water supply projects such as the installation of hand pumps and motorised pump boring have also been implemented in isolated villages falling with the ICT’s domain.

There are 65 villages and towns with water supply schemes in the rural areas of ICT, while there are 48 total villages where water supply schemes are functional. Out of the 65 schemes, 55 are functional while 10 are non-functional.

Around 700,000 people live in 133 villages falling within the ICT area.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2014.