RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has launched model village programme (Misali Gaon) with an estimated cost of Rs8 billion to improve civic facilities including provision of water.

Talking to Dawn, the Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company Chief Executive Officer Asadullah said that the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had directed him to immediately start model villages and in this regard 64 villages have been selected in Rawalpindi Division’s districts including Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum.

He said the villages had 285,000population and 41,850 houses where water connections will be provided after laying supply lines and other civic facilities will be improved. In Rawalpindi Tehsil, he said villages have been selected in Gujar Khan, Taxila, Kotli Sattian and others.

He said that the PC-I had been approved while the work would be started next month. He said a total 550 villageswill be turned into model ones in 10 divisions of Punjab with an estimated cost of Rs71 billion.

Rs8bn will be spent on improving civic facilities in 64 villages

Besides, Punjab Rural Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Project is being implemented with the financial support of the Punjab government and the World Bank.

Work on this project, including provision of clean drinking water, modern drainage systems and garbage disposal, is progressing rapidly. This project is simultaneously being implemented in eight tehsils of South Punjab and four each in Central and North Punjab. On the instructions of the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Mr Assadullah said, the Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company has set up flood relief camps in the areas affected by the floods, including Kot Momin, Bhuwana, Ahmedpur Sial, Bahawalnagar and Pakpattan.

Food, medicines and clean water are being provided to the flood victims in these camps, while rescue operation is in full swing.

According to reports, rescue workers saved hundreds of lives in Bhuwana and Kot Momin by taking timely and effective measures, including building dams, thereby protecting nearby populations from significant losses. Mr Asadullah said that he visited various relief camps, reviewed the situation and paid tribute to the teams engaged in rescue and relief activities. He also issued instructions for the immediate use of dewatering pumps to drain water from low-lying areas.

The local residents expressed gratitude to the tehsil rescue teams for their prompt and effective response, saying that their efforts saved numerous families from devastation.

On this occasion, Asadullah met the affected families, expressed solidarity with them and distributed clean drinking water and food packets. Project Director Asadullah pledged that the Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company would stand by the victims in difficult time and would continue relief operations until they were fully rehabilitated.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2025