Plan drawn to enhance municipal infrastructure in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project (KPCIP) will enhance municipal infrastructure and urban spaces in Abbottabad, including a solid waste management system with a total project cost of Rs 16.091 billion.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the KPCIP Project has provided its services to four cities of the province which include Peshawar, Abbottabad, Mardan and Kohat.

The News has learnt that the entire planning phase has been completed besides implementation has started in some of the areas as decision-makers have chosen six projects for Abbottabad city.

The projects include pedestrianization of market in old city center worth of 357 million rupees , Sherwan Adventure Family Park worth of 808 million rupees, rehabilitation and provision of water storage reservoirs including water distribution network, water metering system worth of 8503 million rupees, construction of water treatment plant worth of 2596 million rupees, integrated solid waste management system worth of 3666 million rupees and construction of Salhad Bagh worth of 820 million rupees.

The political and administrative machinery of previous government had gone through with entire process and established KPCIP implementation unit in Abbottabad despite the fact that local people were allegedly ignored in planning to execution process.

The pedestrianization of the market in the old city center project includes 15 streets for lights, street furniture, drains and others.

The major components of Sherwan Adventure Family Park with a cost of 808 million rupees include cricket ground, walking tracks, trails, staircases, rock climbing and zipline.

Family areas consist of BBQ and parking areas with public washrooms, tuck shops, kiosiks, electric cars, etc.

The total area of Sherwan Family Park is 87.5 acres. It may be pointed out that Peshawar High Court has already declared 1434 kanal 13 marlas land at Shimla Hill as protected area.

Interestingly, this land is owned by the federal government and citizens and the Federal Ministry of Climate change have allegedly approached the Federal Ombudsman for implementation of the PHC order.

The existing filth depot at Salhad will replace another project namely Salhad Bagh with total cost of 160 million as soon as Dhamtore landfill site gets functional.

Following the clear directives of PHC, the municipal services authorities including Cantonment Board and Water and Sanitation Services Agency Abbottabad (WASSA) were restrained from dumping garbage and filth in Salhad Dumping Ground at the entrance of the city.

Although a piece of land consisting of around 400 kanal has been purchased with the financial assistance of the ADB in Dhamtore village where an integrated solid waste management system would be installed at a cost of Rs 3666 million.

The existing site of solid waste dump at Salhad will be converted into a park known, Slahad Bagh, for which 820 million rupees has been allocated by the KPCIP.