Rawalpindi District government and ADB ink Rs 5.142 billion REIP loan accord

The District government of Rawalpindi and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed the loan agreement of Rs 5.142 billion for a mega project of Rawalpindi Environment Improvement Project (REIP).
The loan agreement was signed by ADB chief and Raja Javed Ikhlas, District Nazim Rawalpindi in Manila, said a spokesman of the district government here on Saturday.
The Rawalpindi Environment Improvement Project (REIP) would be executed by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).
He said that the project included construction of sewerage treatment plant at Adiala Road, laying of sewerage network in the civic limits of Rawalpindi and linking it to the main sewerage conductance line which would take the sewerage water to the treatment plant at Adiala Road. He said that project was designed in a way to cover the requirements of water supply to Rawalpindi city till year 2015 and sewerage, drainage and solid waste management till 2025.
The 70 percent cost of the REIP amounting Rs 5.142 billion would be provided by ADB while the remaining 30 percent would be provided by provincial government of Punjab and Tehsil Municipal administration of Rawal Town, he said.
Giving details of the project he said that the project Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project would be completed in three phases. In the first phase of the project that is Water Supply Project to Rawalpindi city was completed with the cost of Rs 4 billion under PMU.
Under this project Rawal Dam filtration Plant was established, besides installation of double water supply line (ECM), repairing of 91 tube-wells, installation of 20 new tubewells. Establishment of water supply network from Khanpur dam including construction of three over head tanks and construction of bridges on Nullah Lai.
In second phase the project targets are cent percent sewerage system in Rawalpindi, construction of sewerage treatment plant, he said adding that widening of Nullah Lie and construction of road on the banks of the nullah and plantation.
Spokesman said that there were four options of installation of the treatment plant and after thorough study, it was decided that treatment plant would be installed at Gorakhpur village on Adiala Road. But, he added that the inhabitants of the village have refused to provide land for the project and the situation was brought in the notice of Punjab Minister for Local Government.