ADB plans utility corridor for Faisalabad metro bus service

FAISALABAD: A utility services corridor will be established along the proposed routes of the Metro Bus Service in the city, as announced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) experts and consultants. This corridor will facilitate various essential services, including internet, water and sanitation (Wasa), Sui Gas, PTCL, Municipal Corporation, Fesco, and other departments, ensuring no excavation will be required after the Metro Bus Service is launched. The ADB delegation, including consultants Karl Werning, Huma Daha, and Sadiq Aftab, met with Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) Director General Muhammad Asif Chaudhry to discuss these plans. Senior consultant Mike Johnston also participated in the meeting online. The ADB team announced plans to hold a local stakeholder conference to discuss the project. The ADB consultants are also meeting with heads of various public service organizations, including the Municipal Corporation, Wasa, and Fesco.

Millat Chowk pipeline repair starts: Wasa Managing Director Amir Aziz has confirmed that repair and restoration work has begun on a 48-inch diameter sewerage pipeline near Ayesha Mosque, Millat Chowk, on Sheikhupura Road. The repair process is expected to be completed within 24 hours, after which the sewerage line will become operational. Residents of nearby areas, including Gulistan Colony No. 1 and Gulistan Colony No. 2, may face difficulties with sewage operations during the repair process.

‘Mental health crucial for national development’: Professor Dr Zafar Ali Chaudhry, Vice-Chancellor of Faisalabad Medical University, has emphasized that mental health is crucial for both national and social development. Speaking at an awareness seminar organized by the university’s Department of Psychiatry in connection with World Mental Health Day, he highlighted that no nation can achieve progress without the mental well-being of its people. Mental health, he explained, involves achieving a balance between the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of life. Other experts, including Professor Dr Imtiaz Ahmad Dogar, Dr Rafiq Rafique, and Dr Shahida, discussed the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among women, attributing it to factors such as divorce, the death of a loved one, physical illness, and low income.

Mid-career course officers visit NIM: Senior officers undergoing training in the Mid-Career Management Course at the National Institute of Management (NIM) visited Faisalabad, where Commissioner Silwat Saeed briefed them on government initiatives. She informed the officers that 75% of the boundary walls in all three industrial estates under the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) have been completed, and the walls have been extended from six to eight feet. Saeed also mentioned that No Objection Certificates (NOCs) are being issued within 15 days at the Business Facilitation Center. Shortly, 200 electric buses will be introduced as part of the public transport system. Additionally, a Rs 10 billion project to upgrade WASA’s sewerage system is in the pipeline. The commissioner also responded to the officers’ questions during the briefing.

Robber killed in alleged police encounter: In an alleged police encounter near Odin Street in the Batala Colony area, one robber was killed, and another was injured. According to the police, the injured and deceased robbers were brothers with a criminal record. The suspects were fleeing after committing a robbery when they encountered Dolphin Force officers. During an exchange of fire, both robbers were injured, with one dying on the spot. The injured brother was shifted to a hospital. Police confirmed that the motorcycle recovered from the suspects was stolen from a citizen in the Sargodha Road area about a month and a half ago. The deceased, Abdul Rehman, and his injured brother, Abdul Rehan, were residents of Warispura and had multiple theft and robbery cases registered against them.