BAHAWALPUR: The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) will soon undertake the work on two main drainage schemes in the city costing about Rs340 million.

According to PHED Executive Engineer Baqir Gardezi, the first sewerage will be laid from Circular Road near Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) up to Lal Bagh area via Bund Road.

The main purpose of scheme is to provide relief to residents of localities opposite BVH and a large number of customers and patients of medical stores who have to face a lot of inconvenience due to roads flooded with sewage. The underground sewage pipelines are choked and due to their constant blockade the sewage flooded the nearby roads.

The second scheme costing about Rs170 million pertains to thousands of residents of Bhutta colonies in Ahmedpur East, Ashiyana and Punjab housing schemes.

Residents of Bhutta colonies have been facing great hardships since the collapse of the underground drainage system a few years ago.

The EXEN said the PHED had also handed over water supply schemes of Maqbul, Islami and Model Town C, costing about Rs250 million, to the Tehsil Municipal Administration after their completion.

SECURITY TIGHTENED: Security has been beefed up in the city in the wake of an army operation against the Taliban in North Waziristan.

According to DPO Falak Ahmed Falki, a strict checking has been ordered at all entry and exist points of the city.

All suspected vehicles will be thoroughly checked and their occupants will be frisked by police and the intelligence men.

He said the airport and other important installations would be under special surveillance and the police patrolling during night would also be intensified.

NEW COLLEGES: Federal Minister of State for Education Baleeghur Rehman has said four new colleges will be built in the Bahawalpur division at a cost of Rs140 million during the next financial year.

These colleges (both boys and girls) will be built at Sammsatta (Degree College for Girls, Hatheji), Yazman tehsil (Degree Girls College, Bungalow Tailwala), Hasilpur tehsil (Government Degree Girls College, Choonawala), Rahim Yar Khan district (Degree Girls College, Khan Bela).

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2014