Saudi Arabia and KP Govt Release Rs. 18 Billion for Major Water Project

A major gravity-flow water supply scheme for Mansehra is set to move forward after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia released Rs18 billion for the project.

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati said work on the scheme is likely to begin next week, while Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is expected to visit Mansehra on May 6 to formally inaugurate it.

Swati said the project had been approved after years of efforts and the required funds had finally been secured for its execution. He said residents had long been facing a shortage of drinking water and described the project as a major step towards resolving the issue.

He said he had been pursuing the scheme since his election as an MPA in the previous government and added that it had now finally materialized.

The speaker also announced funding for several other development projects in the area. He said Rs1 billion had been approved for a recreational facility at Kotkay Dam near Mansehra city, while Rs180 million had been allocated for a graveyard.

According to him, Rs. 970 million has also been approved for the upgradation of Thakra Stadium, while Rs. 300 million has been set aside for tube-wells and other emergency schemes aimed at meeting the city’s immediate water needs.

Swati said the chief minister would inaugurate these projects during his visit and would also announce the creation of Tanawal tehsil.

He added that foundation stones would also be laid for a boys’ degree college, Hazara University’s administration block and a high-tech laboratory at King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.

He further said the Basic Health Unit in Sandysar would be upgraded to a Rural Health Centre to improve healthcare services for local residents.