SAHIWAL: Around five-decade-old sewerage and water supply system will be replaced and updated while 70 new tube wells would be installed along 26 new water filtration plants in the city at the cost of Rs11.6 billion.

This was stated in a meeting, chaired by Commissioner Nadeemur Rehman, of different stakeholders for an Asian Development Bank-funded project called the Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement and Investment Programme.

An amount of Rs11.60bn would be spent on changing and rehabilitating the sewerage and provision of potable water to the city. Ten new wastewater disposal stations would also be constructed to streamline sewage.

The rehabilitation of sewerage and drainage network and disposal stations would be carried out in different parts of the city while in some places, the sewerage would be extended and a trunk sewer would be constructed. Construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) is also part of the sewerage and drainage improvement project under the ADB project. The Urban Unit would develop a land filth site where waste would be disposed of and reprocessed for further usage.

While elaborating the details, the Nespak representatives said Rs9.20bn would be spent upon installation of sewerage, water treatment plants and wastewater disposal stations while Rs2.60bn would be spent on laying clean water drinking water supply lines, installation of tube wells and new filtration plants in different parts of the city.

Mr Khalid, the additional commissioner, Anees Rehman, director development, Qari Khalid Nazir, director Local Government and representatives of the ADB, P&D Department and the municipal corporation were also present.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2019