RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government had decided to link the establishment of a sewerage treatment plant for Rawalpindi with the Leh Expressway and flood channel project. The same company will now be undertaking the project via a build-operate-transfer basis.

A senior Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) official told Dawn the sewerage treatment plant will be established in Adiala Village to treat Leh Nullah water and will produce fertiliser, treated water and methane gas from which the company will be able to earn money.

He said the Punjab government is facing financial problems and that it has decided to conduct these projects via a public-private partnership.

The same construction company will be undertaking the project via BOT basis

He said the Punjab government had two options- allowing the construction company to collect toll tax on Leh Expressway or earn money from the sewerage treatment plant.

He said that last year, the provincial government had asked the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) to make a PC-1 for the establishment of a sewerage treatment plants in its areas for the annual development program of 2018-19.

Under this plan, Rawalpindi was to get one treatment plant, Lahore was to get six, Faisalabad three, Gujranwala two and Multan two in the current annual development program.

However, he said Wasa Rawalpindi sent the proposal but linked it to the Leh Expressway and flood channel and asked for details of land, sewerage system and previous plans related to the sewerage treatment plant with the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).

He said RDA had enough land for the establishment of a treatment plant on Adiala Road. The land had been procured in 2007 under the Rawalpindi Environment Improvement Project.

A trunk sewer will be laid from Moti Mehal Cinema to Adiala Road to bring sewerage from Leh Nullah to the treatment plant and release treated water to agricultural land in adjoining areas, he said.

The official said the civic agency had wanted to construct a housing scheme on the land.

Wasa had also been directed by the Punjab government to start a plan for laying sewerage lines in all 46 union councils so sewage is discharged in Leh Nullah and transported to the Adiala treatment plant, he said.

The official added that Wasa will point out the main sewerage discharge points in Leh Nullah and proper work will be started after receiving funds from the provincial government.

He said 70pc of residential areas will be provided with proper sewerage facilities through this project. At present only 30pc of Rawalpindi has sewerage lines.

He said that according to an Asian Development Bank study from a few years ago, Rawalpindi produced about 141,000 cubic metres of sewage which is likely to increase to 272,000 cubic metres by 2025.

He said there the old and rusty sewerage lines laid some 40 years ago cannot cater to increasing flow of wastewater and need to be replaced.

Wasa spokesperson Umer Farooq said work on the sewerage treatment plant was started on the directives of the Punjab government and linked with the Leh Expressway and flood channel.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2019