Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the second phase of the Model Village Project to improve living conditions in rural areas across the province.

Officials said the new phase will cover 7,500 more villages. Work is already underway in 485 villages under the first phase, showing steady progress on the ground. The project aims to bring major improvements to villages. Plans include clean water supply systems, solar-powered tube wells, improved drainage, and the cleaning of wastewater ponds.

Authorities have been given deadlines to speed up work. Cleaning of village ponds, locally known as “chhapar”, must be completed by June 30. Meanwhile, septic tanks are expected to be completed by August 31. Officials said treated water from these septic tanks will be reused for irrigation, helping farmers and conserving water resources.

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The first phase of the project is expected to cost over Rs59 billion. A digital monitoring system will also be introduced to track progress, including before-and-after video documentation of each village.

The chief minister also ordered the immediate repair of non-functional water filtration plants. She stressed that clean drinking water must be provided on a priority basis in areas facing contamination.

To assist the public, a helpline, “1336”, has been set up where people can report issues related to water and development work. Progress in areas such as Khushab, Chishtian, and Rajanpur was also reviewed. Officials were directed to complete bottling plants and water supply schemes on time.