SIALKOT: Gujranwala Division Commissioner Shamail Ahmed says the government plans to spend Rs350 million to save the export-oriented city of Sialkot from recurring flood threats and disasters caused by Nullah Bhed.

He also said the Punjab government had approved a Rs2.75 billion multi-phased mega project to save the neighbouring Sialkot and Narowal districts from floods to ensure early expanding, remodeling, desilting and pavement of protective dykes of the five seasonal drains in the future that had played havoc during the September 2014 flash floods in the region.

The commissioner said this while talking to the media here on Sunday after reviewing the process of desilting of Nullah Bhed. MPAs Chaudhry Muhammad Ikram, Manshaullah Butt and District Coordination Officer Nadeem Sarwar, TMA Administrator Malik Adnan Awan and senior journalists were present on the occasion.

The commissioner announced that all old small bridges over the nullah would be replaced with new ones. He also announced the beautification of Sialkot Fort and said tough tiles would be fixed in and around the fort. The TMA was also establishing a recreational park in the fort.

He announced early establishment of the “great wall of Sialkot”, attributed to the ‘son of soil’ Allama Iqbal murals of whose poetry and art would be displayed on this wall reflecting the imagination of Iqbal’s poetry and philosophy.

He also announced a project of establishment of a food street under the supervision of TMA for providing better recreation and entertainment facilities to the people of the city. He directed TMA officials to prepare early proposals and feasibility reports for establishing the food street.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2015

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