Punjab starts second and third phases of Sohna Punjab programme
Minister Zeeshan Rafique says the local government department is building 61km of new drains in 51 cities, with 4,135km of sewers and 1,245km of roads to follow.
Punjab has started work on the second and third phases of the Maryam Nawaz Ka Sohna Punjab programme after completing its first phase in 51 cities, local government minister Zeeshan Rafique said.
Rafique was speaking at a meeting on Friday to review schemes under the Punjab Development Program (PDP). He directed officials to give special attention to the beautification of cities, saying the appearance of urban areas is a focus of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The local government department is building 61 kilometres of new drains across the 51 cities, he said, and renovating 63 kilometres of existing stormwater drains that are in poor condition.
Rafique said 4,135 kilometres of sewers and 1,245 kilometres of roads will also be constructed. The programme covers the construction and rehabilitation of 4,146 kilometres of streets, and of disposal stations, with work already begun on 40 disposal stations in different cities.
Seventy new machines have been handed over to the municipal bodies of the cities covered by the programme to deal with urban flooding, the minister said, and the purchase of 217 more is under way.
Rafique expressed satisfaction over the presentation made at the meeting and issued instructions to the officials present. No cost estimate or completion timeline for the works was given in the account of the meeting.
PDP Project Director Shahid Zaman Lak, Additional Secretary Mehreen Fahim Abbasi, the concerned assistant project directors and Municipal Officers Infrastructure attended the meeting.
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