RAWALPINDI, June 20: District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani ordered the Adiyala jail authorities to improve living conditions of the prisoners with particular focus on sanitation and water availability.

The Nazim, who paid a surprise visit to the jail with Tehsil Nazim Raja Hamid Nawaz, directed the jail administration to whitewash all the barracks.

He met prisoners and inquired about the problems being faced by them. Some of the prisoners complained that contaminated water was being supplied to them in the jail causing several diseases to them. Mr Kiani asked the jail administration to arrange more fans and improve lighting arrangements. He also ordered provision of television sets in all the barracks.

He stressed the need for improving sanitary conditions of the lavatories. It may be mentioned here that there are two lavatories for around 90 inmates in each barrack.

The Nazim ordered the jail administration to arrange sufficient supply of drinking water. He asked them to make bore- holes at 15 different points in the jail premises. While visiting the barracks, he ordered shifting of two ailing inmates to the jail hospital.

APP adds: Assuring that there will not be as much losses as compared to the last year flood, the district Nazim, Tariq Kiani, said Rs1 billion was being spent on the Leh Nullah project, including Rs650 million, received from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Out of these, an amount of Rs450 million would be paid as compensation to the affected persons of the Leh project, for which the lists were being finalized, the Nazim said in an interview with APP here on Thursday.

Mr Kiani dwelt at length on various issues including the proposed Pothohar University, denationalization of the colleges, the appointments in health and education sectors, RDA’s status, and the district budget.

Mr Kiani said the work done so far on the Leh Project had diminished the chances of much losses during the coming monsoon as compared to floods on July 23, last year. He said with the completion of the Leh project, it would be able to sustain the flash floods of 41,000 cusecs and the rainwater would not come on roads and on bridges. “The project was being completed keeping in view the last 100 years’ average floods in the Leh”, he remarked.

He said under the agreement, three bridges at Pir Wadhai, Dhoke Chiragh Din and Gawalmandi and widening of Leh would be completed with Rs650 million given by the ADB.

Replying to a question about the payment of the compensation to the affected persons, Mr Kiani said the land would be acquired and compensation would be paid in near future.