PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) has requested for allocation of Rs1.61 billion in the next financial year (FY22) for the project of an alternative drainage system in Peshawar.
According to the authority, the said funds must be released next year for the early completion of the project. According to the Local Government Department, it is estimated that the project will cost Rs2.555 billion.
PDA sources said Rs1.278b has been allocated by the Ministry of Climate Change for this project which will be released after the improvement is a situation caused by Covid-19 and with the approval of PC-1 of the project.
Similarly, Rs75m was allocated for the project in the development program of the current financial year 2020-21. However, this amount has not been transferred to PDA so far. Now after revision in PC-1, in the ADP 2021-22 an additional allocation of Rs232m is required.
The PDA sources said that the KP government should allocate this amount for the project in the next financial year 2021-22 so that work on the project can start as soon as possible and be completed in a timely manner.
In the light of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directions, PDA and Water and Sanitation Services Company Peshawar (WSSP) in collaboration with Irrigation Department have formulated an alternative drainage plan for Peshawar.
Under the project, drainage water from five canals of Peshawar, Warsak Uplift Canal, Warsak Gravity Canal, Joe Sheikh Canal, Hazar Khawani Canal and Kabul River Canal has been connected to Shahi Katha, Mohammadzai Drain and other drainage canals of Peshawar. Under the project instead of polluting irrigation canals, the drainage water will be diverted into the main drainage canals.
