PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will launch a project to improve municipal infrastructures and services for facilitation of people.

The project would be launched in five divisional headquarters of the province including Peshawar, Kohat, Abbottabad, Mardan and Swat, according to a statement issued here.

The project titled “Citizens Improvement Project” (CIP) will be launched with the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank. It will help the selected cities to improve their access to quality urban services through enhanced municipal infrastructure and strengthened institutional capacities of municipal setups in these cities.

In this connection a meeting of local government department was held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Mahmmod Khan in the chair. Under CIP, various schemes of clean drinking water, solid waste management, sewerage treatment plants, construction of parks and recreation sports, development of green areas etc will be launched in the selected cities.

The project will be completed with an estimated cost of $9.50 million. The provincial government will provide the required pieces of land for these projects.

ADB to finance schemes being launched in five divisional headquarters

Besides, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Kamran Bangash, Local Government Secretary Mian Shakil Ahmad and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Shahab Ali Shah, other relevant officials also attended the meeting.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing about the schemes to be launched in these cities under CIP, the progress so far carried out to finalise the project and various other related matters.

The meeting was informed that work on the engineering design and construction management of the project was in final stages that would be completed soon. Practical work on the project will be started by the end of this year.

Briefing the meeting about the schemes to be initiated under CIP in the slected cities, it was said that replacement of 479-kilometre long water supply pipes, solid waste management system in Shamshatu, sewerage treatment plant in Kaneeza, development of basie park, family areas, walking tracks and eateries were the important schemes proposed for Peshawar.

Similarly, Mingora greater water supply scheme, solid waste management system in Kaolaro Mela and development of river fronts, and other green spaces are the proposed projects for Swat.

The meeting was told that projects for Mardan included solid waste management in Chantar, sewerage treatment plant in Rorya, green initiatives on Ring Road and tree plantation etc whereas replacement of 150-kilometre water supply network, solid waste management system in Oblan, sewerage treatment plant in KDA, women development centre and development of women park in Tanda were important schemes proposed for Kohat.

Regarding the schemes for Abbottabad, the meeting was informed that upgradation of Choona water supply scheme, solid waste management in Dhamtor, development of Sherwan park hiking trail, family area, botanical garden, boundary walls and parking areas etc were the proposed project for Hazara divisional headquarters.

Expressing his satisfaction over the progress so far made on CIP, the chief minister directed the authorities concerned to complete the engineering design of the project by July.

He said that on completion, the project would help to improve the quality of life of the citizens in those cities.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2020