RAWALPINDI, March 24 The Punjab government has decided to restructure the Rawalpindi Environment Improvement Project (REIP) in order to get better results for sustainable reduction in environmental degradation and ensure operation of basic urban services.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Punjab Planning and Development Board in Lahore on Tuesday.
The meeting presided over by Planning and Development Board Chairman Rab Nawaz was attended by Director-General RDA Makeen Shahbaz, representatives of ADB, REIP and officials of the district government Rawalpindi.
Nullah Leh is stated to be the major bottleneck in the way of REIP and for this reason it was decided to incorporate the Nullah Leh project into REIP.
It is learnt that the Asian Development Bank, which has provided financial support for the completion of REIP, has agreed to Punjab government's decision to revamp the project.
However, ADB would not make any financial commitment in the wake of expansion of the project and the Punjab government would have to bear the cost.
It was proposed that Nullah Leh should have the channel for the flow of sanitation water with roads on both sides to make the environmental improvement project sustainable. The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has been entrusted the task of restructuring the project.
The Nullah Leh development project has been on the files of RDA since 1995 but could not be implemented due to unavailability of funds and lack of interest by successive governments.
The project was hijacked by former MNA Shaikh Rashid Ahmad in 2007 when he laid the foundation of Shaikh Rashid Expressway patronised by former president Pervez Musharraf. The project, however, expired after the February 18 general elections.
On the other hand, REIP could not take off smoothly and faced a number of bottlenecks including the share of cantonment areas in the project.
Since the cantonment areas will also be a beneficiary, the ministry of defence has been asked to contribute its share towards the project. So far, there is no commitment on part of the federal government to pay the share.
The Planning and Development Department reviewed the progress of REIP and expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work.
The project started with digging of almost all roads in half of the city. The most affected areas were blocks of Satellite Town, Saidpur, Asghar Mall schemes and Banni where the digging of roads has made lives of people miserable. Despite hue and cry, the REIP management has failed to repair or reconstruct the damaged roads.
The Summary Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) shows that the project will result in net environmental benefits including improved ground and surface water quality and solid waste and sewage collection and treatment. This will significantly improve health and quality of life in Rawalpindi, as well as agriculture and fishing in the Soan River downstream. Potential adverse impacts during construction and operation have been identified.
Detailed topographic survey including additional surveys, planning and preliminary design for both the outfall sewer and sewage treatment plant have been completed but due to major impediments, mostly linked to delay in acquisition of land for the STP, clearance of route for the outfall sewer, and cost sharing agreement with cantonment board for outfall sewer, the design and tendering cannot be finalised.
Nullah Leh poses potential threat of flooding during each monsoon season and millions of rupees are spent every year for the dredging of the nullah for public safety reasons. But this expenditure remains not sustainable resulting in the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste in Leh Nullah from the adjoining areas.
