PESHAWAR
A mega development plan under KP City Improvement Project (KPCIP) has been approved with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank costing $ 9.5 million (over 1.65 billion Pakistani rupees) to ensure eco-friendly healthy living facilities including drinking water, sewerage, sanitation and modern urban infrastructure in major cities to cater civic needs of the growing urban population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Provincial Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD) Faisal Amin Gandapur has asked for prompt execution and early completion of this crucial mega project of urban development.
The Project Director Wasif Shinwari gave a detailed briefing to the Provincial Minister in this regard and apprised him of the progress made so far made on the project. Asian Development Bank (ADB) would provide $ 7.00 million soft loan for the purpose against the provincial government’s allocation of $ 500,000 while $ 2.00 million would be provided through foreign grants.
Faisal Amin Gandapur expressed satisfaction over the project saying that it would greatly help in all times availability of potable drinking water and sanitation facilities to the dwellers of big cities like Peshawar, Swat, Abbottabad, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Kohat and Bannu where ground water table was dropping alarmingly with passage of time.
He directed for hiring experts and staff strictly on merit basis for immediately launching it as well as ensuring its timely and quality completion.
He further directed to ensure all civic and infrastructure facilities on scientific lines as well as focus on maximum tree plantation and other eco-friendly measures throughout the province.
He said it would contribute to enhancing the chances of rainfall and weather level improvement. Similarly he asked for installation of treatment plants for tons of the city garbage, trending the eco-friendly option of wastes to energy rather than seeking dumping grounds around the cities that was usually annoying the locals due to its filth and pollution.
The minister cautioned that he would himself monitor the progress on the project and inspect the scheme and its impacts on the public throughout the province. He expressed the confidence that sincere efforts would be made to make KPCIP an effective tool for beautification of the cities and making it nature friendly and attractive even with tourism point of view.
