SAHIWAL: Up to 201 acres will be bought from 113 landowners in Mauza Muhammadpur and Chak 66/GD for the establishment of a wastewater treatment plant.

Of them, 132 acres and 64 acres are in Muhammadpur and Chak 66-GD to instal the plant under the Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Project (PICIIP), an Asian Development Bank-funded project.

The plant will treat 24.60 million gallons of waste and sewage for human and agricultural consumption per day.

Project manager Asjid Khan told Dawn that at the time of the start of the project in 2020, the estimated cost of the plant was Rs1 billion, but because of the price hike of construction materials and other items, the plant cost had doubled.

Commissioner Shoaib Iqbal said landowners would get the maximum rate for their land. Earlier, Rs2.4 million per acre wasallocated for Muhammadpur land and Rs1.6 million for Chak 66/ GD, but on farmers` demand, the price was revised. Muhammadpur and Chak 66/GD acre are priced at Rs2.9 million and Rs2.4 million, respectively.

Mr Asjid told Dawn the amount had been allocated on the recommendations of the Independent Valuation System proposed by the Asian Development Bank as farmers did not accept the district evaluation committee price for the sale of their agricultural land.

The commissioner said the new rate was also recommended under the State Bank land purchase terms for any internationally funded public sector project.

Dawn learnt most of the farmers agreed to the new rates, and soon the money will be transferred to the farmers, and later the land will be transferred to the PICIIP project. The treatment plant will be functional bythe end of2024,andit will meet the needs of Sahiwal City until 2044.