WB Implementation Support Mission Team Visits PMDFCVows Rs400m Investment in Sewerage and Water Supply Across 16 Cities

By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore
LAHORE: A World Bank Implementation Support Mission team visited the Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC) today to review the ongoing activities, planning, and progress under the Punjab Inclusive Cities Program.
The mission team included Carlo Alberto, Amena Raja, Sohaib Rasheed, and Seemab Rehan, while Imran-ul-Haq and Azharuddin Khan joined the meeting virtually via Zoom.
Managing Director PMDFC Syed Zahid Aziz gave a comprehensive briefing to the delegation, outlining key aspects of the program and the measures being taken to meet its objectives. He informed the team that the Punjab Inclusive Cities Program involves an investment of USD 400 million (approximately Rs 111 billion at current rates) across 16 cities of Punjab — marking one of the largest initiatives ever undertaken to upgrade municipal services in the province.
Syed Zahid Aziz highlighted the use of specially designed High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)-lined pipes under the project, which will dramatically extend the lifespan of sewerage infrastructure from the conventional 25 years to nearly 100 years. This innovation is expected to ensure reliable, uninterrupted sewerage services for citizens while substantially reducing long-term maintenance and repair costs.
He further disclosed that water supply and sanitation projects in Kasur and Chakwal will be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model — a first-of-its-kind initiative in Pakistan’s municipal services sector. New Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) units have already been established in the participating municipal committees, and the appointment of dedicated Municipal Officers (WATSAN/Services) has been completed to strengthen institutional capacity and improve service delivery.
The MD emphasized that the Punjab Inclusive Cities Program will not only enhance sanitation infrastructure but will also contribute significantly to addressing critical public health challenges, including the reduction of child stunting through improved water quality and hygiene conditions.
Additional components of the program include the construction of underground rainwater storage tanks to improve stormwater management and drainage, as well as several e-governance initiatives. These include:
Local Government Financial Management Information System (LGFMIS)
Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM)
Dynamic municipal websites
An IT-based monitoring dashboard for real-time transparency and effective tracking of project performance and progress
The World Bank mission team expressed appreciation for PMDFC’s efforts and reaffirmed the Bank’s continued commitment to supporting the successful implementation and achievement of the program’s goals.
The meeting was also attended by senior PMDFC officials, including Mahmood Masood Tamana (General Manager Institutional Development), Adnan Nisar Khan (General Manager Engineering), Nauman Akhtar (Senior Program Officer Financial Management), Muazzam Jamil Khan (Senior Program Officer Institutional Development), and Rukhsana Shahid (Senior Program Officer Environment).
The Punjab Inclusive Cities Program represents a transformative step toward building more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban services across Punjab, with a strong focus on innovation, public health, transparency, and long-term infrastructure durability.