ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: Capital Development Authority (CDA) will initiate extension of its existing sewage treatment plant during the next month, a source told Dawn.

The source said the government had given a go-ahead to the authority for launching the project. In this connection, French government has agreed to provide a soft-term loan of Rs913 million to Pakistan, he added.

“The project includes the construction of fourth phase of the plant, improvement and refurbishment of first two phases and repair of the third phase.”

The source said after completion of the fourth phase, about 20MGD sewage would become usable for irrigation and industrial purposes.

“The total cost of the project is about Rs1.3 billion.”

He said concerned quarters had lauded the efforts of the French government for extending fraternal and economic ties with Pakistan.

They also appreciated the gesture of the Economic Affairs Division for accepting the offer by the French government, he added.

Last year, the division had rejected the offer when a French delegation visited Pakistan to finalize the deal. The French delegation returned with great disappointment because the division wanted grant-in-aid instead of a loan.

“Though the government desired the launching of the project immediately, however, it had refused to accept the loan from the French government,” a CDA official said.

The official said the project would be launched as soon as the amount of loan was released.

The source said the project of sewage treatment plant was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in 1994. But due to long delays, the project cost has increased from Rs1,217.16 million to Rs1,296.27 million.

The total production of sewage in Islamabad is about 23MGD, which after passing through the capital and thickly populated areas of Rawalpindi falls into the Soan River.