KARACHI: The Sindh government allocated the highest-ever budget of Rs1 billion for fiscal year 2021-22 for the redressal of environmental issues. The government’s focus will be on the construction and maintenance of sewage treatment plants in major cities and plantation of 2,000 acres forest area in urban areas to address climate change.
As per details, the environmental budget last year was Rs145 million which has been increased multiple times to Rs1.2 billion to indicate the commitment of the government to climate change. The officials have stated that the policy has already been finalised considering urban infrastructure challenges.
The officials further stated that Karachi was the epicentre of Sindh and three sewage treatment plants were going to be made functional to allow wastewater to flow into the sea. These treatment plants will be located in Mahmoodabad, Lyari and Clifton and will together discharge 150 million gallons per day. This will be a welcome step to allow polluted water to be treated before it is allowed in the sea in order to protect the marine environment.
According to the budget document, environmental priority stands at the seventh place in the budget 2021-22 after health, irrigation, education, agriculture, local government and infrastructure development.
The budget document suggests that the environment came at the seventh most prioritised area of the Sindh government in the budget 2021-22 after education, health, agriculture, infrastructure development, local government and irrigation.
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