ECNEC approved infrastructure projects to boost economy
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its recent meeting had approved a number of big infrastructure projects across the country with the objective and scope of boosting economic activities and uplift of masses in the country.
The Planning and Development division sources told APP that ECNEC has recently approved Land Acquisition , property compensation and shifting of utilities for Khanewal-Lodhran Expressway (E-5) at a total cost of Rs.2136.870 million of which Rs.300 million have been earmarked in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2007-08).
Highlighting the scope and objective of the project, the sources added the project envisages acquisition of 2,323 acres of land for construction of 100 km long expressway with 100 meters Right of Way (ROW) and property compensation and shifting of utilities for Khanewal -Lodhran Expressway (E-5).
Similarly a projects namely:Construction of Expressway Faisalabad -Khanewal has been approved by the ECNEC at a cost of Rs.28564.540 million including foreign exchange component of Rs.7026.450 million.
They added that for the project in the PSDP 2007-08 Rs.1000.000 million have been allocated. The project envisages construction of 184 km long ,4-lane (7.3 wide carriageways on both sides (Faisalabad-Khaniwal Expressway (E-4) with controlled access facility including 3 meter wide shoulders on out side and one meter shoulder on inner side bifurcated with New Jersey barrier alongwith allied facilities to reduce high rate of traffic at National Highway (N-5)which the main North-South corridor linking main cities of Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, they added. The Planning commission sources further said that the ECNEC has also approved Construction of South-West Wastewater Treatment plant , Lahore (phase-I) at a total cost of Rs.9351.000 million with foreign exchange component of Rs.7518.000 million.
About the scope and objective of the project, the sources added that presently, the entire wastewater and sewerage of Lahore city are pumped into sludge/storm -water drains and discharged into River Ravi without treatment, contaminating river water. The project will be implemented in 3 phase on 900 acres land acquired in river flood plain. In the first phase the sewage generated by one million population living in densest area of old Lahore city will also be treated for irrigation and groundwater recharge , besides producing manure and biogas meththane for power generation.