The Asian Development Bank is likely to approve $60 million loan for 'Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement' project this year to carry out environmental protection and human development work in the city. Source told Business Recorder here on Friday that the government and ADB were negotiating various social, technical and financial aspects of the project. However, the Bank has agreed on loan approval, they added.
The project has been formulated with the objective to improve the living conditions and quality of life of the dwellers in Rawalpindi city. The project would carry out improvement of water supply and sanitation facilities, solid waste management, wastewater treatment, and slaughterhouse.
According to the official sources, the Bank would provide the amount from its two main heads--$40 million, from it Asian Development Fund (ADF), and $20 million from Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR). The executing agency of the project would be Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department, they said.
Source said that the project would help in ensuring sustainable urban investment by strengthening institutional capacities of Rawalpindi Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA).
Besides, the project will prefer to improve Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), promote policy reforms focussed on greater devolution of authority, involving all stakeholders in service delivery.
The main components of the project are: Environmental sanitation; Water Supply Services; and Institutional development including municipal management system development, environmental support services, assets management, urban development, project implementation assistance, and incremental administration support.
Sources said that in order to support project implementation and build long-term capacity of TMA and Wasa which would be responsible for planning and delivery of urban services, will cover project management and implementation support to the project management unit (PMU). It would include subproject-detailed design, construction supervision, and monitoring and evaluation and institutional development.
Besides, local NGOs and social mobilising teams would also be engaged for community development and participation, they added.