WSSP drafts water, sanitation master plan

Plan will help WSSP assess water supply needs, quantity of waste generation

PESHAWAR: To improve the water and sanitation services in the city apart from ensuring the sustainability of the organization, the key water and sanitation organization in the city plans to prepare a new master plan under which it has identified some 250,000 previously unregistered households which will be registered with the company.

This was disclosed by the Water and Sanitation Services Companies (WSSP) in a statement on Wednesday.

The households have been identified during an 18-month-long Customer Perception Survey which ends this month. The survey is part of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Water Governance Programme (K-PWGP), which is being funded by the Swiss Development Corporation.

Launched in October 2018, the survey documented current and future water and sanitation needs of 67 union councils (UCs) of Peshawar, including 45 urban and 22 rural union councils.

During the survey, the WSSP identified as many as 90,000 unregistered households in Zone-A, which comprises nine urban union councils. A further 80,000 houses were identified in Zone-B, providing services to 21 union councils.

Similarly, 64,000 households were identified in seven UCs under Zone-C. Another 26,000 households were identified in seven UCs of Zone-D.

“Registration of these households will be a step towards financial self-sustainability and lead towards improvement in services,” said WSSP Chief Executive Officer Syed Zafar Ali Shah.

Under the water governance programme, which will continue for two years, the WSSP built the capacity of its field and management staff operational and management for the better services delivery.

To meet the future needs of its growing consumer base, the sanitation company started working on a master plan under the K-PWGP.

The plan will help WSSP assess water supply needs and quantity of waste generation, keeping in view the current increase in the number of consumers until 2048.

One of the key needs identified is the collection and disposal of waste. The company said that it currently disposes of around 780 tonnes of waste daily. This is expected to rise to 1,117 tonnes by 2048.

“WSSP will improve its resources such as manpower and machinery in light of the recommendations proposed under the Master Plan to efficiently caters to needs of consumers,” Shah said.

The survey also highlighted the requirements of households in 22 rural union councils, including the number of tube-wells required and the quantity of waste generation till 2048.

Under the plan, it has been proposed to redesign the drainage system. Sites for setting up sewerage treatment plants have also been proposed. It has been recommended that sites for these waste treatment and transfer stations should be acquired in different localities.

Moreover, a robust business plan was finalised to make the utility financially self-sustainable.

For mass sensitization on water conservation and sanitation, the WSSP has set up a separate wing called Citizen Liaison Cell. The cell will hold awareness workshops and sessions to engage with the community to keep the city clean.

The company set up community awareness departments to sensitise community regarding hazards of dumping of waste at improper places. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2019.