September 03, 2006	Sunday	Sha'aban 9, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Sept 2: City District Nazim Ghulam Ali has said that the provincial capital may face acute drinking water shortage in the next couple of years due to receding water table.

Speaking at the Peshawar Press Club’s Guest Hour programme on Saturday, he said that surveys conducted by different agencies had revealed that water table was going down about five feet every year in the area.

He believed that all tubewells would become useless after six years, adding that federal and provincial governments should assist the district government to find out alternative means.

The Nazim said that memorandum of understanding had been signed with a Chinese company to prepare feasibility report for a project to provide drinking water from Warsak Dam to Peshawar. Apart from this, he said that prime minister had promised to provide funds for the installation of more tubewells in the city which would help to overcome shortage of drinking water.

Mr Ghulam Ali blamed Peshawar Electricity Supply Company and Pakistan Telecommunication Company for the encroachment in the city.

He said that both organizations had laid down their transmission lines without planning and in many parts of the city electric towers had been erected in the middle of the footpaths.

He called for better coordination among various government and Semi-autonomous departments to resolve general public problems, adding that the Local Government Ordinance, 2001 also needed more amendments to empower district government to deliver services efficiently.

He said that district government had launched a drive against encroachment and condition of various roads had been improved. An amount of Rs 160 million had been spent on the restoration of various roads, he added.

He said that the government would provide recreational facilities to the people and had planned to construct on the pattern of Disney Land. For this purpose the district government had allocated Rs five million for land acquisition, while federal government would also provide amount to purchase over 1,000 kanal land on the outskirts of the city.

MASTER PLAN: He said that with the help National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) district government was preparing a master plan for the city which would help establishing modern township with latest designs, adds PPI.

Under the plan the city would be divided into 100 zones and each would be provided basic facilities suxh as gas, electricity, water supply and sanitation on modern lines for which coordination would be developed among various departments, he pledged.

“Under modern plan no one would be allowed to continue haphazard construction with narrow streets but construction with modern designs having all basic facilities would be ensured,” he added.

He said district government was working to solve the traffic problem of the city therefore construction of three under passes on main G.T. Road would be started in this week. “Chief Minister to inaugurate work on two under passes at university road within two days,” he said, adding that the third under pass would be constructed near Firdous for the traffic coming from L. R. H. to G. T. Road.

The Nazim said after Hayatabad township the city was lacking modern housing colonies therefore it had planned to construct four such colonies, which would have all modern facilities. “We would allot land to those who would start construction right away otherwise it would not be transferred on their name,” he said.

To increase revenue of the city government five toll plazas would be Constructed at various entrance roads of the city while modern shopping complex would also be constructed in Namak Mandi to generate more revenues, he revealed.