ISLAMABAD: The city managers on Wednesday decided to launch a project worth Rs490 million for the illumination and beautification of the Red Zone with energy-efficient lights.

The CDA, during important national and international events, decorates the Red Zone through a third party. A few months ago, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit cost the agency a hefty amount.

The CDA Development Working Party (DWP), which met with CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa in the chair, approved the PC-I of the project worth Rs490.082 million, which would be completed in four months. Besides the CDA board members, the meeting was also attended by the officials of the ministries of planning, finance, and interior.

“This project aims to enhance the aesthetics and functionality of key government buildings, including Aiwan-i-Saddar (President House), the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Library, Parliament House, the Supreme Court, the Federal Shariat Court, Cabinet Blocks, and the Office of the Auditor General of Pakistan. The project will develop CDA’s assets on a permanent basis and is expected to be completed within four months,” said an official statement issued by the CDA.

Municipal solid waste management system on the cards; PC-II for consultancy firm approved

The statement said that recognising the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation, the meeting of the CDA-DWP approved PC-II for hiring a consultancy firm to provide advisory services for developing a municipal solid waste management system in line with the directions of the Government of Pakistan. According to the statement, this initiative aims to reduce pollution, mitigate health risks, and promote a cleaner urban environment. The consultancy phase will take four months, during which a mechanism will be devised for implementing international standards in solid waste management.

It said that to boost Islamabad’s hospitality sector and enhance its global reputation, a PC-II was approved for hiring a consultancy firm to conduct a feasibility study and provide transaction advisory services for the development of five-star hotels in the city. The CDA said that this initiative would foster economic growth, promote tourism, and elevate Islamabad’s stature as a hub for political, diplomatic, and business activities.

The consultancy phase will span 12 months, focusing on proposing modern operational models on a joint venture and profit-sharing basis. The CDA has several five-star hotel plots, and it wanted to build hotels on these plots through public-private partnerships, provided the consultant provides a feasible model in this regard.

Meanwhile, the meeting also approved PC-II for hiring a transaction advisor to conduct a feasibility study and provide advisory services for developing a slaughterhouse in Humak. The existing small-scale facility in Humak, according to the CDA, was established in 1964 and has become obsolete. The new facility, to be built on 15.75 acres of CDA-owned land, will ensure the provision of hygienic and quality meat. The project’s consultancy phase will take 12 months and will explore public-private partnership models for implementation.

It is relevant to note here that there is no slaughterhouse facility for butchers of Islamabad; therefore, they are slaughtering animals in private houses or in open areas.

The slaughterhouse in Humak is being run by Rawalpindi authorities on a small scale, and butchers of Islamabad, after terming it not feasible for them, have been pressing the CDA for the last two decades for setting up slaughterhouses in urban areas.

The CDA had allotted several plots for slaughterhouses only to cancel them later on. Many years ago, a plot was allotted in Sector H-9, which was later cancelled.

A new plot was allotted in Sector I-9 that too was cancelled. Later on, a plot was allocated in Sector I-11/4, but the environmental agency raised an objection to the location of the I-11 slaughterhouse. All Pakistan Jamiatul Quresh had also filed cases against the CDA demanding an early start to the launching of the slaughterhouse.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2025