Islamabad: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has greenlit a USD 180 million loan aimed at enhancing water supply and solid waste management services in Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur, according to a news article on November 29.
As per the details, the Developing Resilient Environments and Advancing Municipal Services in Punjab Project, anticipated to impact around 1.5 million residents, is set to tackle issues such as excessive groundwater extraction and urban environment degradation. This will be achieved through the expansion and modernization of the urban water supply in Rawalpindi and the reinforcement of solid waste management systems in Bahawalpur.
ADB Central and West Asia Director General Yevgeniy Zhukov emphasized the project’s significance in making municipal services in these cities more sustainable, resilient, and less carbon-intensive. In Rawalpindi, the project involves the construction of new surface water intakes and a water treatment plant capable of processing 54 million litters per day.
The plan includes the installation of transmission and distribution pipes to provide metered connections to 82,000 households. Additionally, funding will be allocated for the upgrading of water pumps and transmission mains to boost surface water supply, along with the establishment of three pilot district metering areas for enhanced operational efficiency.
Meanwhile, in Bahawalpur, solid waste collection is set to witness improvements through the acquisition of waste collection equipment and a new fleet, complemented by an innovative fleet management information system. The project also includes the development of a recycling facility and a floodproof landfill, coupled with the rehabilitation of an existing dump site.
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