Nespak on Thursday presented 20 year master plan worth Rs 58.090 billion for uplift of Lahore before the District Council Lahore which would focus on improving drainage, water supply, solid waste disposal, transportation facilities, road infrastructure and improving quality of people life in the provincial metropolis.
Out of total amount of Rs 58.090 billion the private sector would share Rs 37.625 billion while remaining amount of Rs 20.465 billion would be paid by the public sector.
The copies of this plan were distributed among the members of District Council on Thursday for study and submitting proposals, and hopefully the District Assembly will approve it in the first week of October.
The plan, besides developing comprehensive land information system, emphasises development in southern corridor of Lahore and recommends providing missing trunk infrastructure in the south and encourage in-fill development. It would further ensure strict enforcement of building, zoning, sub-division, and environmental regulations to encourage planned growth. It would also encourage housing schemes for people of low-income groups through micro credits.
In order to improve city traffic system, the projects of capacity improvement have been included in the plan. In addition, improvement in urban traffic control and management system in the central area have also been planned. The plan has also provision of switching to CNG buses within the urban limit and implementation of Light Rail Transits project besides bus rapid transits on all other major corridors.
For the improvement of water supply, computer model study to upgrade water distribution system would be undertaken for the sewerage system, three new sewerage districts (north-east and south of Lahore) identified for in time planning and execution, while construction of sewerage treatment plants have also been recommended.
Developing land fill, separation of hospital waste from municipal waste and installation of incinerators, improvement in solid waste collection efficiency and ban on dumping of solid water in River Ravi have also been included in the plan.
In education sector, primary level enrolment would be increased to 100 percent by year 2010 and beyond to improve literacy. Likewise, additional beds would be provided in the hospitals for improvement of health facility.
The Nespak representative while giving presentation to the District Council members, said Lahore had been facing many problems like rapidly increasing population, congestion, and resource constraints. Three were deficiencies in social and physical infrastructure resulting in degrading environment.
About the master plan history, he said the Integrated Master Plan for Lahore had been prepared which provided guidelines for overall growth of the metropolis and recommendations in various sectors for the next 20 years, he added.
The study area for Integrated Master Plan for Lahore was Lahore Metropolitan Area, covering about 2300 square kilometers and also included Lahore District, Ferozewala Tehsil of Sheikhupura District and some parts of Kasur District, he maintained.
According to 1998 District Census Reports, the urban population of Lahore grew at an average annual rate of 3.32 percent whereas the Lahore District population grew at the average rate of 3.46 percent per annum. Keeping in view the past growth trends, it was estimated population of Lahore district would grow to about 13 million and that of Lahore Metropolitan area to 14.1 million by the year 2021 ie it would be double within next 20 years, he told the members of the District Council.
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