Adviser to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam says Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch Clean Green Pakistan Index at a grand launching ceremony on October 30.

Speaking to the media Sunday, he said the initiative is aimed at introducing competition among cities on various indicators, including public access to clean drinking water, safe sanitation, effective solid waste management and tree plantation.

The prime minister will announce a six-month competition among 19 cities of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces, he added.

The advisor said after six months, these competing cities would be ranked again and those with prominent progress will be rewarded with special federal and provincial government funds and more cities will be joining the competition.

He said that the CGPI has been rolled out by the ministry under the Prime Minister Imran Khan's political manifesto of clean and green Pakistan and environmental conservation and sustainability. He added the present government is focusing on transforming the overall outlooks of the countries cities, which will play key economic engines of the country in the coming days.

"Now cities in many countries across the world are playing vital roles in the overall socio-economic development of the countries. It is because, cities are now providing economies of scale and they are also providing efficient infrastructure and services through density and concentration in sustainable transportation, communications, power, human interactions, water and sanitation services, and effective waste management and enhanced urban forestry activities," Amin Aslam said.

Copyright Independent News Pakistan, 2019