Vol:VIII Issue: 8 August 2013 - The Urban Unit (USPMU) · Vol:VIII Issue: 8 August 2013 P & D Department, Punjab Editorial Information Graphics Nadeem Ullah Khan Nayyer Ali Dada Dr

Vol:VIII Issue: 8 August 2013

P & D Department, Punjab

Editorial Information

GraphicsNadeem Ullah Khan

Nayyer Ali Dada

Dr. Nasir JavedManaging EditorCEO, The Urban Unit

PatronChairman Board of Directors

Arshad Rafique

Maryam Naseer Contributing Editor

Editors

Madiha Qamar

Urban Sector Planning & Management Services Unit (Pvt.) Ltd.

A seminar was organized on the theme of “Rainwater

Management” on 31 August by the Urban Unit in

collaboration with Association of Builders and

Developers and Pakistan Water Operators Partnership

(P-WOPs) at Alhamra Arts Council Lahore. The purpose

of the seminar was to raise awareness of the general

public on the subject of rainwater management and seek

possible collaboration of different entities from various

public and private sectors for making the idea a reality.

More than 300 practitioners, academics, professionals

and students participated in this highly interactive

seminar and made many technical/general questions

and comments on the topic.

The presenters included DG Capital Development

Authority Mr. Shahid Suhail, DG ERRA Mr. Zaheer

Gardezi,Professor at College of Earth and

Environmental Sciences Punjab University Dr. Iftikhar

Ahmad, Water and Sanitation Specialist from the Urban

Unit Dr. Tehseen Aslam and Chief Engineer D.C. Colony

Gujranwala Mr. Muzammal Hussain Jafri. A special

documen ta r y on “Ra inwa te r Managemen t

Implementation” in Bagh District of Azad Kashmir was

also presented.

The resource persons were unanimous that Pakistan

was becoming an increasingly water scarce country and

in a matter of a decade or two, water crisis would be

added to the bundle of other security issues. The bustling

populations in the urban areas were putting enormous

stress on ground and surface fresh water resources

while changing rainfall pattern was testing the resilience

of our infrastructure and the capacity of the municipal

authorities to their limits.

They were also of the opinion that the country had

abundant potential of rainfall management. However, the

public awareness and the participation was crucial if this

st

innovative concept and technology had to be

implemented. In the first instance, the government

buildings and public parks should be designated for

deployment and demonstration of such initiatives. The

role of development authorities of the cities was also

seen 'instrumental' to develop and implement new

building codes and bylaws for the implementation of

rainwater management practices.

The practical example of rainwater management

initiative in Islamabad was demonstrated to show the

feasibility and success of this new idea in Pakistan. It was

recommended that the model could be up scaled and

replicated in other urban areas as well. The presenters

apprised the audience that both technology and success

stories existed in Pakistan and elsewhere to utilize the

potential of rainfall for many beneficial purposes

including irrigation and groundwater recharge.

A group photo of all speakers

2P & D Department, Punjab


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The CEO of the Urban Unit, Dr. Nasir Javed said

that the Urban Unit in collaboration with WASAs was

in the process of developing guidelines for this

purpose. He told that the Urban Unit would provide a

forum to different water and sanitation entities for the

design, development and implementation of practical

rainwater management solutions. The vision was to

make our urban centers free from the scourge of annual

monsoon flooding and depleting water tables. He

thanked the audience and the presenters to make the

seminar successful and added that the seminar was the

beginning of a series of sessions on the subject to gain

support of the masses and change their perceptions

regarding rainwater.

First Pakistan–Turkey Bilateral

Workshop on Municipal

Services ManagementA three days training workshop on “Municipal Services

Management” was held at National University of Science

and Technology (NUST) Islamabad from 27 to 29

August, 2013. The main purpose was to share practical

knowledge on the subject and enhance opportunities of

cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey as agreed

with Turkish International Cooperation Agency.

,The CEO of the Urban Unit, Dr. Nasir Javed was the

chief guest of the opening session on Solid Waste

Management (SWM) and presented 'An Overview of

Municipal Services Management in Pakistan'.The

situation of SWM in Punjab Province was briefed by Sr.

Solid Waste Management Specialist Dr. Kiran Farhan.

The presentation on “Drinking Water Management was

delivered by Mr. Fawad Saeed (Sr. GIS and Water

Resource Management Specialist while 'Wastewater

Management as Municipal Service' was presented by Dr.

Tahseen Aslam (Sr. Water & Sanitation Specialist) from

the Urban Unit.

The representatives from Turkey presented case studies

of cities of Konya and Ankara regarding Solid Waste

Management, Drinking Water and Wastewater

Management. Each session was highly informative and

expected to develop linkages between the two countries

in the target areas of municipal services.

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On the instructions of the Government of Punjab, Anti-

Dengue Day was observed in the Urban Unit on 17 Aug

2013. A special lecture on dengue epidemic was

delivered by Sr. Specialist Solid Waste Management, Dr.

Kiran Farhan. In her presentation, she highlighted the

key aspects of dengue fever, its symptoms and treatment

with special focus on the preventive measures for its

control.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection and annually

20 million cases of dengue infection are reported,

resulting in around 24,000 deaths. It is found in tropical

and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and

semi-urban areas. The infection causes flu-like illness,

fatigue, joints pain, headache, muscular pains and

depression. She told that the first case of dengue fever in

Pakistan was reported in 1994. In 2011, it became an

epidemic and 14,000 cases were reported resulting in

300 casualties.

As no vaccination is yet available for its control, so only

preventive measures can be taken. She described the

preventive measures as to apply mosquito repellents,

keep dengue patients in mosquito nets, throw away the

junk items and avoid water pooling in old tires and pots.

She also suggested the admin staff of UU to strictly

observe the preventive measures in office premises.

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Anti- Dengue Day 2013

Observed at the Urban Unit

Dr. Kiran Farhan delivering a lecture on Anti Dengue Day 2013

The participants actively contributed to all the sessions.

They found the information very useful and hoped that

these systems would be utilized for better planning.



Enabling Environment Assessment

The UN-HABITAT in collaboration

with the Urban Unit is conducting a

study on Slums in Islamabad (ICT)

and Kohat City of KP Province with

special focus on Afghan Refugees.

The study will provide a combination

of quantitative and qualitative

information to analyze the number

and location of slums along with the

existing status of living and socio-

economic conditions, in terms of

legal status of the settlement,

demography, in-migrating trends,

housing quality, quality of basic

serv i ces , leve l o f pover ty,

employment trends, contribution to

local economy, and opportunities for

improving economic conditions.

Finally, this study will suggest

so lu t ions to improve l iv ing

conditions of refugees in the

identified slums.

(Fawad Saeed, Sr. Specialist GIS & Water

Resource Management)

The Urban Unit has joined hands with Semiotics Pvt. Ltd.(Consultants) on

the project of "Enabling Environment Assessment”. The Consultant will

support the task team and client in undertaking Pakistan's sanitation sector

on provincial basis. Besides this, it would facilitate the understanding of all

sector partners. It will also guide the World's Bank Water and Sanitation

increasing supply of products to reach sustainable sanitation outcomes at

large scale. The assessment will comprise of sector review, data collection

from the field survey and analysis, consultative meetings with the

stakeholders, focused group discussions, provincial and national workshops

in the selected districts. The Urban Unit has initiated the consultative

meetings with the concerned government departments to engage them in

project survey; selection of districts and ensure their cooperation at every

level. In this regard, the project team in the leadership of Dr. Kiran Farhan

visited Peshawar (KPK) and Muzaffarabad (AJK) to meet key government

officials and informed them about the project objectives/scope. The next

meetings are scheduled in Sindh in the last week of September.

(Dr. Kiran Farhan , Sr. Specialist Solid Waste Management )

A Study toFocus on AfghanRefugees inPakistan

P r o g r a m m e ( W S P ) i n

a s s i s t i n g P a k i s t a n f o r

achieving the MDGs as well as

to help poor and vulnerable

groups to move up sanitation

ladder. The proposed scale-up

program will adopt a theory of

change, which looks at

creation of an enabling

environment along with

generating demand andMeeting with the key stakeholders on WSP project

GIS Application for Dubai Statistical Center

Ongoing Projects of Urban Unit

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Ameeting on the subject of “Beautification and Revival of Murree” was held

under the chairmanship of Political Secretary to PM at Islamabad on 13

August 2013. Representatives of National Highway Authority (NHA)

National College of Arts (NCA), Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA),

Urban Unit, Tourism & Development Corporation Punjab (TDCP) and

Forest Department attended this meeting. The purpose was to discuss and

highlight the key aspects and operational management for the

beautification and revival of Murree.

Ms. Nadia Qureshi, Urban Planner & Architect at the Urban Unit, gave a

detailed presentation on various urban designs and upgrade proposals the

Urban Unit had been working on since 2011. This included details of

restoration of historic buildings, paint and other façade, upgrade of all

shops along the Mall Road, placement of flower pots on shop frontages,

redesign and fabrication of shop signs, design of information boards,

canopies for shops, treatment of blank walls, road & stairs, improvement

and redesign of Nighat Zar Park etc. These proposals were thoroughly

discussed and suggestions were made on various tasks either

independently or in participation with other departments under the

chairmanship of Commissioner Rawalpindi. Along with the beatification

and historic preservation, the Urban Unit was also assigned the task of

finalizing the new building Bye-laws, survey the land use/drainage &

sanitation, formulate specific Land Use Rules and make proposals for

development at the Murree Brewery (while preserving it) and old Brazilian

embassy sites, which will focus on generating economic activity.

The subsequent meeting under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister

Mian Nawaz Sharif on the same subject was held at PM House Islamabad

on 20 August attended by the same participatory department

representatives. The Commissioner Rawalpindi presented all the work

done and proposed so far. At the end , the Urban Unit was further assigned

the task to make detailed proposals of the interventions, design the

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Beautification and Revival

of MurreeThe Urban Unit in collaboration with

the Excise and Taxation Department

embarked upon the Sialkot Pilot

Project for computerization of Urban

Immovable Property Tax (UIPT).

The Pilot Project has successfully

been completed. In Sialkot District,

100% computerized PT-10 Challan

forms have been delivered in the

current financial year. On the basis

of the success of the Sialkot Pilot

Project, the work is being extended

to the five large districts including

Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala,

Rawalpindi and Multan. In these

districts, the Urban Unit and Excise

and Taxation Department are jointly

carrying out the field survey of

p roper t y tax in wh ich the

photographs of properties are also

be ing taken to up load on

Geographic Information System

(GIS). The PT-1 & PT-8 registers of

all the five large cities have been

scanned using high resolution

scanners. Data Entry Labs have

been established in all the districts

to enter data into the database

where trained Data Entry Operators

are performing this activity. The

integration of UIPT record with GIS

is the key feature of th is

computerization which will ensure

transparency, accountabi l i ty,

evidence based robust planning,

informed decision making and

pol icy formulat ion, revenue

enhancement, effective monitoring

and improved service delivery for

the citizens. This is a one of the most

important initiatives which will lead

to the real e-governance and ICT-

based solutions.

(Abdul Razaq Sr. Specialist M&E)GIS map of Murree Mall

Computerization

of UIPT

institutional structure

for the organization that

will be responsible for

the implementation of

various interventions

a n d p r o p o s a l s i n

Murree.

(Nadia Qureshi, Urban

Planner &Architect)

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FarewellA farewell ceremony was held on 16 Aug 2013 for

three of the staff members of the Urban Unit,Ms.

Fatima Khan, Ms. Kiran Shehzadi and Mr. Owais

Azhar. All the staff members attended the event and

acknowledged their contribution. Speaking on this

occasion, Dr. Nasir Javed appreciated the services of

the outgoing members. He presented souvenirs and

wished them best for their future endeavors.

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Dr. Nasir Javed is giving souvenirs to Ms. Kiran Mr. OwaisMs. Fatima, and

Iris Smart Survey Solution for FaisalabadThe GIS sector of the Urban Unit has developed a GIS based, smart survey solution for WASA Faisalabad. The

application will capture, update and report spatial and tabular information directly from smart phone devices in real

time. The application will improve the quality of data, capture location, photos and monitor the progress of survey.

Besides this, it will integrate information into organization's GIS and help for statistical analysis. The major

components of this application are Survey Android Application, Survey Progress Monitoring System and Data

Analysis Dashboard. The use of this system enables public to provide feedback and opinion using entirely automated

communication system.

(Ehsan Saqib, GIS Specialist )

Urban Internship Programme 2013Nineteen students completed their internship in different sectors of the

Urban Unit including Urban Finance, Solid Waste Management,

Information Technology and Environment. The closing ceremony for

the Urban Internship Program 2013 (Batch 1) was held at the office of

Urban Unit on 30 August, 2013. In the closing ceremony, interns

presented the work done by them during their internship period and

shared their experiences. They stated that this internship had given

the opportunity to enrich and strengthen their abilities. Dr. Kiran

Farhan, Sr. Specialist, Solid Waste Management chaired the

ceremony and said that this practical experience would improve

students' career decision making and appreciated the efforts of

interns. In the end, students were awarded the stipend and certificates.

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A group photo of internees with Dr. Kiran Farhan

Survey progress monitoring Real time data collection

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The Urban Unit and University of Engineering and Technology (UET)

Lahore are offering three months certificate course on Solid Waste

Management (SWM) at Cantonment Institute of Municipal and Land

Administration (CIMLA), Lahore. The course will be started from 9 of

September and is aimed at capacity and human resource development in

SWM sector to meet potential demand of trained professionals for the six

newly established Solid Waste Management companies in Rawalpindi,

Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Multan and Bahawalpur. SWM experts

from the Urban Unit and guest speakers from other public and private

entities will deliver the course which includes presentations, discussions

and case studies on technical, managerial, institutional, financial & HR

sectors. It also includes field visits and an access to advanced information

resources.

For updates, please log on to: www.urbanunit.gov.pk

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Training Course on Solid

Waste Management

The second Pakistan Urban Forum (PUF-2013) has been planned to be held in the second week of December 2013and aims to examine issues related to the thematic areas “Managed Urbanization: The Road to NationalDevelopment”. The Urban Unit is currently accepting papers from researchers, academics and professionals in theurban sector and its allied areas.

The first Pakistan Urban Forum (PUF-2011) was held in Lahore from March 1-5, 2011. The five day event broughttogether policy makers, community activists, government officials, professionals, students, researchers andexperts from fields related to the urban sector in Pakistan. The goal of the forum was to highlight the challenges andopportunities of urbanization and discuss, analyze and propose pragmatic and innovative solutions for improveddecision making that will create sustainable urban and livable communities for tomorrow.

The first forum served as a platform where all the concerned individuals and organizations voiced their distress on

long unresolved urban issues and gave a long sight towards structuring a comprehensive strategy that should

make life easier and worth living in the congested urban areas of the country.

The classification of themes along with all details for Urban Forum 2013 is available on UU website:

www.urbanunit.gov.pk

Pakistan Urban Forum 2013

Development of Ravi River FrontThe Government of the Punjab plans to develop the Ravi River front. The proposed project entailshigh quality residential, institutional, commercial and recreational zones on the western margin of

Lahore. The scope of work and the eligibility criteria are available at www.urbanunit.gov.pk.



Upcoming Events

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The father of Fawad Saeed Sr. Specialist GIS &

Water Resource Management passed away. May

ALLAH rest his soul in eternal peace.

The mother of Sidra Hussain, GIS Manager, passed

away. May her soul find eternal bliss in heavens.

The brother of Mr. Shakil Sharif passed away in a

road accident. MayALLAH rest his soul in peace.

Left Us

Abdul Qayyum, the Naib Qasad

of the Urban Unit passed away.

Serving this company from the

last five years, he was a very

hardwork ing and dut i fu l

employee. Dr. Nasir Javed CEO

and all the staff members

expressed their grief and sorrow

over the sad demise and prayed that Almighty Allah

grant courage to the members of the bereaved family

to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude and may

ALLAH shower special favors on the departed soul.

UU Digital Library



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Young Professional Corner

Haris Nadeem

City Coordinator, UIPT

The Urban Unit

Pakistan Journal of Urban Affairs, Urban Unit’s quarterly

research journal, welcomes submission of papers from scholars,

practitioners, researchers and public sector professionals.

For more details: www.pjua.gop.pk

The Learning Resource Center (LRC) of the Urban

Unit subscribes, collects and disseminates

intellectual output in digital form. It has a great source

of research based e- knowledge that comprises:

www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/urbanunit.html

www.elibrary.imf.org

www.elibrary.worldbank.org

HEC Digital Library

IMF e-Library

WB e-Library

For further details and library services you are

welcome to the UU Library HELPDESK.

Please log on to:

www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/urbanunit.html

The contents of Urban Newsletter may not necessarily reflectPunjab Government’s current official policy.


503 - Shaheen Complex, Egerton Road, Lahore, Pakistan.Ph: 042- Fax: 042- 99205323e-mail: [email protected] Web: www.urbanunit.gov.pk

99205316-22

Vol:VIII Issue: 8 August 2013

Best Practice Series

SMS Based Monitoring of

Teachers StartedBy Aroosa Shaukat

Imagine access to details of enrollment, attendance

and visits by monitoring officers in every school.

Imagine the interventions that could be made in light of

this information to improve schools. In October last

year, Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education

(L&NFBE) started an SMS-based monitoring system.

Irum Malik, a systems analyst at the L&NFBE, says she

receives daily updates through SMS on 4,000 of 5,000

non-formal schools from various districts across the

province. She says 3,000 more schools are being

registered to be added to the monitoring system. She

says the purpose was to create a link between the

L&NFBE and teachers in informal schools.

Malik says previously the department had lacked the

capacity to create such a link with its teachers. “Now

there is a bridge connecting us to them,” Malik adds.

She says the SMS-based monitoring system had been

started in collaboration with the Urban Unit Department

which also provided technical assistance.

The project started by registering mobile phone

numbers of all informal teachers at L&NFBE-run

schools. Malik says training teachers in sending SMS in

the correct format was a major task.

“They would make errors like typing the letter 'O'

instead of the number zero,” she says. By December

last year, the teachers began sending in regular texts in

the correct format. “Consider this: a woman teaching in

one of our schools in Rajanpur feels connected. This

empowers the teacher,” Malik says.

Malik says social taboos were a major hurdle early on in

effective implementation of the system in Rajanpur.

She says there were people who refused to let female

teachers use mobile phones.“It was difficult for some

families to comprehend why it was necessary for

women at our schools to have a mobile in the first

place,” she says.

Malik says Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan put up

greatest resistance in this regard. “These districts

also have poor education indicators,” she says.

Malik says in addition to daily texts, the teachers

send monthly reports regarding new enrolment at

their schools, the number of dropouts and whether

they have received their salary.

The department receives nearly 4,000 SMS

messages everyday. Teachers who fail to send in

their texts are sent reminder texts requesting for the

data. Malik says the project is now looking for

donors to provide mobile phones. “We can

encourage but cannot force them since the initiative

is based on self-help and teachers are our partners

in making it work.”

The L&NFBE Department hopes to develop a two-

way SMS service to receive feedback from teachers

on problems faced by them.

The department is also hoping to develop a data

analysis mechanism to draw qualitative

conclusions from the data.

(Courtesy; The Express Tribune)

The project started by registering mobile phone numbers of all informalteachers at L&NFBE-run schools

Documents

Vol:VIII Issue: 8 August 2013 - The Urban Unit (USPMU) · Vol:VIII Issue: 8 August 2013 P & D Department, Punjab Editorial Information Graphics Nadeem Ullah Khan Nayyer Ali Dada Dr