LAHORE:A meeting chaired by Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique reviewed the Punjab Development Program (PDP) at the Civil Secretariat here on Wednesday.
Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Khurram Khan Virk, Secretary Local Government Zaid Bin Maqsood, Special Secretary Shahid Zaman Lak and other concerned officials also attended the meeting.
Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique said that PDP is a major project to provide basic municipal services in cities, under which the construction of 99 underground water tanks has
been completed in 51 cities so far, while the construction of 11 more storage tanks is in the final stages.
He said that these tanks have the capacity to store 23 million gallons (Mgs) of rainwater. “98 drains have also been completed under ‘Maryam Nawaz Ka Sohna Punjab’ “, he observed.
Zeeshan Rafique said that the work of 1755 kilometers of sewer lines is in full swing in different cities. “Similarly, the construction of 34 disposal stations has also started. Water tanks, drains and sewers should be connected before the next monsoon”, he remarked. The Minister expressed the hope that laying of sewerage system will help in preventing urban flooding in these cities.
On this occasion, Parliamentary Secretary Local Government Khurram Khan Virk directed that all SOPs should be implemented for the safety of excavation sites. He said that the concerned Municipal Officers (Infrastructure) must take care of the standards and the prescribed timeline.