The Punjab government will spend up to Rs 70 billion to provide clean drinking water for the next three years which includes up to Rs 11 billion for the financial year 2015-16, official sources revealed this on Thursday.
The clean water project is already launched in the four districts of Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Lodhran and Bahawalpur. This step is the first-ever endeavour by the Punjab government to improve the water supply services and drinking water quality, especially in the rural areas. The Punjab Saaf Pani Company is being set up as a special purpose vehicle to conceive, plan, design, execute and manage projects for provision of a string of new water supply schemes.
The sources said up to Rs 24,000 million is set aside for the development programme 2015-16 for current as well as new schemes of the water and sanitation sector.
The major initiatives and targets under ADP 2015-16 are:
933 schemes have been included in ADP 2015-16 out of which 498 schemes are likely to be completed by the end of next financial year, the Southern Punjab will be specially focused under the Saaf Pani Initiative, up to 3,360 villages will be declared Open Defecation Free in 36 districts of the Punjab, including 890 villages in 11 districts of the Southern Punjab, with the coverage of more than 9 million populations, constructing latrines at household level and promoting use of safe, hygienic latrines for men, women and children.
The sector allocation for 2014-15 was Rs 15, 658 million for 766 schemes, with 204 schemes being completed by the end of June this year. Efforts are also directed at rehabilitating 172 dysfunctional rural water supply schemes for this year.
During the financial year 2015-16, an allocation of Rs 3,860 million is set in the development programme for the Local Government and Community Development.
The targets and major initiatives for financial year 2015-16 are as follows:
The pilot project for Solid Waste Management in the rural areas, elimination of ponds in major villages to improve sanitation and eradication of vector diseases through bio-remediation (Phase-II), establishment of model cattle markets, the Punjab Municipal Improvement Services Project, the Pilot Urban Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Improvement Project (Phase-II) WCLA, multi-purpose parks on the reclaimed land of ponds, improvement of condition of public graveyards.
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