ISLAMABAD, April 6: The ministry of environment on Friday approved 18 projects worth Rs20978.908 million designed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The projects under the overall umbrella of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) were approved at a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Environment Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat in Islamabad, says a press release of the ministry.

The approved projects related to the fields of afforestation, conservation of juniper forests, effluent treatment, sustainable land management, motor vehicle examination and safety, GIS and remote sensing and sanitation.

Out of the 18 projects, fifteen would cost more than Rs100 million each and have been placed in the category of ‘mega projects.’

The completion period of these projects have been designed to achieve MDGs by 2015, Mr Hayat told the meeting.

The local currency component of the projects will be Rs20623.908 million, with foreign exchange component of Rs355 million.

Secretary Environment Mian Mohammad Jamil, Additional Secretary Sami Khilji, Inspector-General Forests Bashir Ahmed Wani and other senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting.

APP ADDS: The world community had set the targets to better the world environment by also reaching out to more than a billion people lacking access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities by 2015.