KARACHI, Feb 1: Work on provision of health, education and residential facilities for the affected people under the Lyari Expressway Rehabilitation Project (LERP) has been geared up.

All out efforts are being made to provide free but quality education to children of the families, who have shifted to new localities, under the instructions of Sindh Chief Secretary Aslam Sanjarani issued at a meeting held last week.

Hundreds of such children have been admitted to schools at both the rehabilitation sites of Hawkesbay and Taisar Town, who were not getting education earlier. These children are also provided books, uniform and shoes free of cost, whereas greater emphasis is being laid on girl education.

Educated girls from the new settlements have been employed to teach at new girls' schools, who are paid stipends. Arrangements have also been made for their training as regular teachers.

At present, 12 schools, including a high school, are functioning in the newly rehabilitated settlements, whereas eight more schools are expected to start functioning during the year.

On behalf of the Lyari Expressway Rehabilitation Project (LERP) "summer schooling" is also organized during summer holidays, so as to make holidays beneficial for children. In summer schooling, the children are imparted education while at the end, they are taken to a visit to Karachi's historical and recreational places.

Meanwhile, plantation work at the new rehabilitation sites is also being carried out with speed, while the second phase of plantation will start from Feb 15 with the cooperation of Forest department.

In order to provide plants and trees at the sites, project's own nurseries will also be set up, while plantation will be carried out on each street and lane through schoolchildren.

Under the project, it has been decided that in future, anyone coming to the new sites to take possession of plot, will be provided one plant and a school admission form, to promote education and create environment-friendly atmosphere.

In the first phase of plantation, over 12,000 plants have been planted in the newly-rehabilitated sites, while another 30,000 will be planted during the second phase of plantation starting from Feb 15.

In the new settlements, a trend has been set to mark national days with tree plantation. On August 14, the schoolchildren had started tree plantation drive in Hawkesbay and Taisar towns, while this year, they will start Pakistan Day celebration by planting trees on March 23.

So far, 11,826 families have been paid Rs50,000 each and documents of 80 sq-yard plots free of cost under the project. The first phase of rehabilitation had started 18 months back from Hawkesbay site, which is now nearing completion.

The Hawkesbay rehabilitation site has a total number of 4,910 plots, where as 4,700 families have been issued allotments so far. The second phase of rehabilitation of shiftees is going on apace at Taisar Town site, where 6,850 shifting families have been handed over plots.

The third phase of the project will soon start at Baldia Town, and the ongoing development works will be completed in two months. At Baldia Town site, work on a Grid Station, primary school, dispensary, mini-civic centre, shopping centre and construction material shops have been completed.

Baldia site spreads over 145 acres, where 2,924 plots have been allocated for shifting families. In the new resettlement sites, hawkers bazar and shopping centres have also been set up to provide employment opportunities to the local population.

Health and medical facilities have also been provided under the project. Besides government dispensaries at Hawkesbay and Taisar Town, one dispensary each of Edhi and Alamgir trust are also functioning.

At the new sites, supply of electricity has also been ensured. Poles have been erected on roads and streets and installation of streetlights completed. At these settlements, 90,000 gallons of water is being supplied daily with the cooperation of Rangers through community tanks and once-a-week through regular pipelines.

In Taisar Town, 100,000 gallons of water is being supplied through community tanks free of cost. In order to ensure regular supply of water, work on water pipeline from North Karachi Filter Plant is completed by over 50 per cent, and the rest will be over within 2 months.

On the other hand, 75 per cent of Right of Way for construction of Lyari Expressway has been handed over to the National Highway Authority, and road construction work is progressing at a fast pace. -APP