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Thursday March 28, 2024

Rs11 bn earmarked for water schemes

By Ali Raza
June 16, 2020

LAHORE: To ensure provision of adequate, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to the entire rural and urban communities of Punjab through equitable, efficient and sustainable services, the Punjab government has allocated Rs11 billion in the budget 2020-2021.

Out of Rs11 billion, Rs06 billion is allocated to 1,340 on-going schemes (55%) and Rs5 billion for new block programmes (45%). Strategic Interventions for the year 2020-21 included ensuring regional equity (Northern and Southern Punjab) in development portfolio, maximum allocation to on-going schemes for their timely completion to avoid cost overrun and curtail throw forward i.e. (55%), allocation of Rs1.574 billion for execution of 342 on-going water supply schemes, Rs3.793 billion for execution of 983 on-going sanitation schemes, Rs632.748 million for execution of 15 Punjab basis on-going schemes, block allocations of Rs5 billion (45% of total size) for new programmes, ensuring priority in resource distribution for sanitation sector by including two sanitation block programmes of Rs1.800 billion in ADP 2020-21. New initiatives for the year 2020-21 include provision of 1,345 water supply schemes, provision of sanitation services to unserved rural and peri-urban areas of Punjab, Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority and promoting use of safe, hygienic latrines for men, women and children under PATS Programme. Under Punjab Economic Stimulus Programme following scheme are included Urban and Rural Sewerage and Sanitation Programme and Urban and Rural Water Supply Programme.

According to the budget document ensuring continuity and quality of water and sanitation services is crucial during the Covid-19 crisis in Punjab. In the current outbreak situation, Punjab being the largest province, children are the worst affected in informal settlements with poor WASH services (urban slums), densely populated neighbourhoods and remote areas where access and outreach are significantly limited due to lack/limited of basic infrastructure.

Similarly, children, adolescents and women living in urban slums, around isolation centres, congested areas and religious gathering spaces, where law enforcement is weak, are further at risk of contracting the virus. The most vulnerable groups are sanitary workers collecting solid waste; daily wage workers, with no purchasing power who are likely to cut on expenditures like soap, and households without adequate and reliable WASH services e.g. a water supply to practice frequent hand-washing.

Safely managed water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services are an essential part of preventing and protecting human health during infectious disease outbreaks, including the current Covid-19 pandemic. One of the most cost-effective strategies for increasing pandemic preparedness, especially in resource-constrained settings, is investing in core public health infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems.

Good WASH and waste management practices, that are consistently applied, serve as barriers to human-to-human transmission of the Covid-19 virus in homes, communities, health care facilities, schools, and other public spaces. In wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the Punjab government has taken steps to prioritise its public investment needs in shape of framework “Response Investment for Social Protection and Economic Stimulus (RISE)” to develop more resilient communities, while addressing problems of water insecurity and poor sanitation services. This investment approach will not only generate employment opportunities across the province but also stimulate economic activities in business supply chains at the grass root level.

WASH schemes proposed in the MTDF 2020-21 are aligned with the provincial priorities determined in the RISE Framework, as well as schemes are aligned with global SDG framework, particularly with reference to SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). The Punjab government has allocated Rs11 billion for WASH sector in ADP 2020-21 due to current economic situation and budgetary constraints.

For the year 2019-20, an amount of Rs22.4 billion was allocated in the WASH sector. The total number of schemes was 1,764, out of which 1,663 were on-going and 101 were new. For the year 2020-21, Rs11.8 billion has been allocated in 2020-21, whereas, total number of schemes are 1,348, out of which 1,343 are on-going and five are new schemes/ programmes.

The schemes for ADP 2020-21 are aligned with recommendations in the ADP prioritisation framework, particularly with reference to the parameters and instructions for all ongoing schemes such as retaining projects that are closing down with less than 15% financial requirements, priority given to schemes having utilisation of 80%, schemes directly linked with RISE framework, and mandatory foreign commitments.

Major Achievements of FY 2019-20 primarily included an allocation of Rs22.400 billion was made to Water Supply & Sanitation Sector for FY 2019-2020, 1,775 schemes were included in FY ADP 2019-2020 that comprised of 1,663 on-going and 101 new schemes. During the year, 11 supplementary grant schemes were added in Sectoral ADP.

Out of 1,774 schemes, 216 schemes will be completed by the end of June 2020 at the cost of Rs6.890 billion.