PESHAWAR: An integrated planning process has been initiated in the provincial capital, Peshawar, to modernise sanitation and drainage services and infrastructure.

Under the proposed plan, all formations of the Local Government Department — Capital Metropolitan Government, Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP), Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), Directorate General Local Government, Local Council Board (LCB), and Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) — will take integrated measures to ensure equal services in both urban and rural areas while strengthening infrastructure, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

It is worth mentioning that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is carrying out integrated planning for sanitation and drainage throughout the province, which is aimed to not only to ensure timely service delivery but also to avoid duplication of activities and ensure optimal utilisation of resources.

The responsibility of collecting details regarding the requirements of Peshawar region, the challenges faced, and measures needed to address them has been assigned to the WSSP.

In this regard, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the chief executive officer WSSP, Yasir Ali Khan, which was attended by officials from WSSP, PDA, LCB, TMAs, Metropolitan Government, and Local Government.

The participants were briefed on the outlines of the proposed integrated sanitation and drainage plan of the KP government. They were instructed to provide their requirements to the WSSP within three days, which will be compiled into a detailed report and submitted to the Local Government Department.

The proposed project will include scientific disposal of solid waste, establishment of sanitary landfill sites, dumping sites, construction of drainage channels, and upgrading existing infrastructure.

Addressing the participants, Yasir Ali Khan emphasised the need for TMAs to identify feasible sites for joint dumping facilities and drainage channels, and to propose only practical and implementable requirements. He further stressed that priority needs must be identified within three days so that the Local Government Department could prepare the PC-I accordingly.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2025