BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has been approached to seek funds to the tune of about Rs1 billion for the implementation of Bahawalpur`s mega sewerage plan.

Talking to Dawn here on Saturday, Commissioner Musarrat Jabeen, who is also administrator of metropolitan corporation (MC), said the city`s sewerage system was years` old and it had almost collapsed.

She said the sewerage system was creating a great deal ofinconvenience not only for the citizens but also for the corporation officials who had to take immediate measures for the clearanceof roads and streets when inundated by sewage.

She said the system urgently needed its replacement with the laying of bigger pipelines across the city whose population had increased manifold during the previous years with the expansion of its boundaries and establishment of new housing colonies.

Ms Jabeen informed this scribe that feasibility of a new comprehensive sewerage plan costing about Rs1bn was ready and the government functionaries had been asked for allocation of necessary funds.

The new pipelines network would be laid across the city, including old walled areas and new colonies around the city.

The commissioner said local MPS alsorealised the necessity of new sewerage to divert government`s attention towards this issue and sought funds for it.

She said the MC administrator also took notice of the encroachments in the city and vowed to launch a vigorous campaign to remove the same in line with the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

During her recent inspection of the commercial area of Satellite Town, encroachments were removed from the area and the MC officials were directed to ensure that the encroachments would not crop up there again.

Ms Jabeen assured that local bazaars and other residential areas, including Satellite Town, Bihari Colony and other localities, would be cleared of the illegaland unauthorised constructions while corrupt officials would be taken to task.

Meanwhile, the commissioner presided over a meeting to review the progress of 623 uplift projects costing about total Rs122bn in districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan.

According to a handout, the meeting was informed that out of Rs122bn, Rs27.4bn had been allocated during the current year with which the uplift projects of various government departments were presently being executed in the division.

The commissioner issued directions for completion of the projects within the stipulated period while ensuring their transparency, quality and standards of the works.