Lahore: Punjab Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique said that development schemes are underway in 16 cities under the Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Program (PICIIP), directing the program to appoint NESPAK as consultant for the projects.
He said that encouraging results had been achieved in the construction of underground water tanks under the Punjab Development Program (PDP), and directed that construction of such tanks in the 16 cities should commence before the next monsoon season.
The minister stressed the need for consultation with relevant elected representatives to assess the specific needs and development priorities of each city.
He expressed these views while chairing a meeting at the Civil Secretariat, where various programs for the development of Punjab’s cities were reviewed. Special Secretaries Shahid Zaman Lak and Syed Musa Raza, Additional Secretary Mehreen Faheem Abbasi and PICIIP CEO Umer Javed attended the meeting.
The meeting also reviewed the Punjab Development Program (PDP) and Punjab Cities Program (PCP).
Zeeshan Rafique said a project had been launched for the filtration of water from Chahan and Khanpur dams near Rawalpindi. He said Chahan Dam would provide 12 million gallons of clean water daily, while Khanpur Dam would have the capacity to supply 8.6 million gallons daily.
The provincial minister directed that the water filtration project be linked with the Waste-to-Value Program. He said the project would also be solarized under Packages-I and II.
According to the minister, Package-I would generate 12 megawatts of electricity, while Package-II would have a generation capacity of 7 megawatts.