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ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government is seeking a loan of $210 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for developing resilient environments and advancing municipal services in the province.
The project will have the impact of improved urban environment and living conditions, natural ecosystems protected, climate change impacts mitigated, and gender equality fostered, says a project document released by the ADB.
The bank, which is currently evaluating the project, is expected to send a fact-finding mission to Pakistan in the coming months. It may also extend a grant assistance to the Punjab government worth $5 million for developing the project, which aims to achieve sustainable, inclusive, resilient, gender-responsive, and low-carbon municipal services in Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan.
The second phase of ‘developing resilient environments and advancing municipal services’ (Dreams) in Punjab will support inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban infrastructure and services in the intermediate cities of the province. Water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services of these cities will be expanded and modernised.
The report says the project is aligned with urban environment, health and living conditions improved; natural ecosystems protected; and climate change impacts mitigated.
The project will focus on strengthening the institutional and capacity development of the municipal corporations of these cities to improve service delivery standards, accountability, and operational efficiency to ensure financial and operational sustainability.
According to the ADB report, the proposed project is poised to fortify climate resilience by increasing the water and sewerage operational capacity to reduce the public health risks and environmental impact for those in and downstream of the two intermediate cities in Punjab.
In Dera Ghazi Khan, this entails investment in wastewater treatment capacity complemented by the conversion of the pressurized wastewater network into a low operational cost gravity system. In Sargodha, this entails investment in wastewater treatment capacity complemented by a transition to surface water sources through the expansion of water treatment facilities.
Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2024
Amin Ahmed is an Islamabad-based correspondent for Dawn with nearly two decades of experience in the field. He reports on socio-economic development, agriculture, and privatisation, as well as parliamentary committees.
