PESHAWAR, Sept 11: The NWFP government will launch a new environmental rehabilitation programme aimed at improving people’s economic condition in four most under-developed districts — Swat, Shangla, Buner and Malakand Agency.

The project will be completed in two years and will cost Rs20 million. The Malakand Rural Development Project (MRDP) will provide 70 per cent of funds while the chief conservator of forests (Malakand Circle) will implement the project with the cooperation of local communities.

An agreement was signed here by Provincial Environment Secretary Noorul Haq and Project Director MRDP Muhammad Ashfaq Khan at office of the secretary environment in Peshawar.

MRDP had launched development projects in communication, agriculture, education, health, water supply and other social sectors costing billions of rupees in the four districts with the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB). However, the environmental aspects were previously ignored.

But then the forestry, fisheries and environment sector has also been made part of the project owing to the efforts and contacts of the Secretary Environment in this respect while the PC-I of the project was specially amended with consent of the ADB for this purpose and required funds were arranged accordingly.

Under the programme, nurseries and orchards will be raised and fish farming projects will be completed and will later be handed over to local communities after the projects begin production.

The scheme is expected to help increase the yields of timber, fruits and fish products in the Malakand area besides providing the local population with additional job opportunities.

The secretary environment is reported to have directed the authorities concerned to ensure public participation in the schemes and called for launching a mass contact campaigns to create public awareness about the projects. —PPI