Peshawar: In a landmark move, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is set to launch its first-ever village-level sanitation program, allocating PKR 5.5 billion to improve cleanliness and waste management across rural areas of the province.
The decision was finalized during a Local Government Department meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur. Attendees included senior cabinet members, the chief secretary, and key officials from the local government.
In the first phase, the program will be rolled out across 2,061 rural union councils (UCs). Each UC will receive a loader vehicle and essential sanitation equipment. Additionally, four sanitation workers per UC will be hired on a transparent, daily wage basis. These workers will carry out door-to-door waste collection, which will then be transferred to collection points managed by the respective Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs).
Monitoring and oversight will be ensured by assistant commissioners, tehsil municipal officers, and local government officials, with elected representatives playing an active role in the process. Chief Minister Gandapur termed the initiative a “signature project” of his government and stressed the importance of transparency and rule-based execution, setting August 14 as the deadline for the formal launch.
He also called for the formulation of a long-term, sustainable strategy to ensure the program’s continuity, emphasizing its potential to improve rural hygiene standards while creating employment opportunities for thousands across KP.
Officials confirmed that a robust monitoring framework will be in place to ensure quality service delivery. The second phase will extend the program to hilly and remote UCs, reinforcing the KP government’s broader agenda to enhance local governance, infrastructure, and public health in underserved rural communities.
