RAWALPINDI, Aug 26: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) on Monday submitted two projects worth Rs11.5 billion to the Punjab government for funding.

The projects envisaged the establishment of a sewage treatment plant, sewerage system, improve water reservoirs and get six million gallon daily (MGD) additional water from the Rawal Dam.

The agency last week had been directed by the provincial government to submit the sanitation and water supply schemes so that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) could be approached for funding.

However, it is not confirmed whether the ADB will provide grant or soft loan for the projects.

Wasa managing director Akram Soban told Dawn that the projects were needed to improve the water supply and sewerage system in the city.

These schemes, pending for the last four years, were parts of the Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement Project (REIP) funded by the ADB to improve the sewerage system and water resources in the city.

The Rs5 billion REIP was launched in 2006 but stopped in 2009 after the Project Management Unit (PMU) failed to complete 30 per cent work on the projects after over three years.

Under the project, the sewage treatment plant at Adiala will be linked to a trunk sewer at Moti Mahal Cinema on Benazir Bhutto Road.

A piece of land, measuring 5,000 kanals, has already been purchased in the Adiala village for the treatment plant.

According to the previous plan, the city generated 200 cusecs (foot cubic per second) sewage and the Cantonment areas 100 cusecs.

The STP will be able to treat the 300 cusecs sewage.

“As soon as we receive the funds, work on the construction of the sewage treatment plant will be started,” said Mr Soban.

He added that the total cost of the project was Rs10 billion.

“The other component of the project is to connect Rawal Dam with three overhead water tanks through pipelines. The water tanks are located at Bagh Sardaran, Dhoke Mangtal and Mohanpura,” he said.

Under the second project, he said Wasa planned to upgrade the Rawal Dam water filtration plant at a cost of Rs210 million.

Under the Rs1.3 billion project, the city will get additional six million gallon (MGD) water from Rawal Dam, said the Wasa chief.