MULTAN, Jan 22: The Rs2.25 billion Southern Punjab Basic Urban Services Project would make Multan a cleaner and greener district in two to three years, said city district nazim Mian Faisal Mukhtar on Monday.

He was addressing a press conference at the Multan Arts Council after handing over equipment to the Solid Waste Management Department and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa).

The equipment include 10 lorries, 80 containers, 180 hand carts and a loader. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has funded the project.

The Punjab government has also released Rs220 million to Multan under a gastroenteritis programme to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the citizens and rural areas.

He said the departments had been told to rehabilitate the city’s 14 parks by Feb 28 to ensure that Jashn-e-Baharan or spring festival could be held in March in a befitting manner. A plantation drive will also begin next month.

Mr Mukhtar said Wasa was trying to acquire land at Sher Shah town to build a sewage treatment plant to recycle waste water. He said 13 filth depots would be removed.

He said each union council would have 40 sanitary workers. He said one flushing machine would cover 10 union councils (UCs). Earlier, one such machine was available for 25 to 30 UCs, he said.

He said the district government was spending Rs40 million on projects to give the district a greener look.

He said small flushing machines with 2000 to 3000ft pipes would also be bought to clear choked sewerage pipelines in the walled city where streets were narrow and big machines could not reach there.

Mr Mukhtar said Rs700 million were being spent on three Wasa projects.

A dia-sewerage line would also be laid from Chungi 14 to Chungi 9. These projects would clean the choked pipelines in the walled city and adjoining areas, he added.

He said the Punjab government had offered Rs220 million for a water supply scheme and that water metres would be installed once the water supply became operational.

He said 12 water filtration plants would soon be installed in the city, adding buildings had been built for the plants.

He warned that cattle pen owners should shift their businesses outside the city by Feb 28 or else be ready to face action. — APP