According to a recent WASA News Report, underground water tanks will be built for sewerage systems and storm water storage in 52 cities of the Punjab province with a particular focus on Lahore. To this end, a host of initiatives have reportedly been launched at an estimated cost of Rs25 billion, of which, ten schemes would deal specifically with rainwater storage. Fair enough!
Lahore WASA has also designed a grand new trunk sewer as per the City’s Master Plan at a cost of Rs49 billion. It is sincerely hoped that some if not all of these projects will be ready and in action by the time monsoon arrives next year.
Rainwater & storm-water storage facilities up and down the province can give us multiplier benefits: we store the water when it arrives, avoid floods, avoid urban chaos and utilise these stored waters for subsequent agricultural use and economic benefit.
Indeed, a feasibility study should be conducted, followed by a pilot project, to be launched in Lahore for ‘wastewater recycling’. Sooner or later, we will have to go down this path.
Abbas R Siddiqi
Lahore
