WASA gears up for monsoon challenge

LAHORE:

The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) faces a test of its claim to have completed preparations to protect the citizens of the metropolis from damage caused by rains as the monsoon season begins with a forecast of more than usual rainfall.

Amid complaints of lack of resources and encroachment over drains, the performance of the officials concerned will become evident if the city receives a rainfall of over 100 millimetres in a day.

In view of the situation, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Waste Management Company (LWMC) have also been deputed to help WASA during the season.

According to the meteorological department, more than normal rains are expected during the monsoon season this year. WASA has been claiming to have completed preparations for the season during the past several months.

There are six major and minor drains maintained by WASA in the city at Shalimar Garden, Upper Mall, Lower Mall, Cantt, Satokatla and Shahdara with a total length of more than 76 kilometres. WASA officials say the drains have been cleaned twice to ensure the removal of obstacles in the drainage of rainwater.

However, there is no way of cleaning the covered drains at some places because of encroachment and lack of space required for the work.

WASA has 16 disposal and 112 lift stations, 44 suction machines, 55 dumper trucks, 15 excavators, 127 de-watering sets, 45 jetting machines, 13 cranes, 51 trolleys and 373 mobile machines.

The civic agency has set up 30 emergency camps across the city as part of preparations for the season. However, the employees deputed at the camps may not have adequate equipment available as WASA is facing an annual financial deficit of over Rs4 billion.

An official told The Express Tribune that 21 places in Lahore had been declared sensitive in view of a high risk of inundation due to rain. The list includes Lakshmi Chowk, Kashmir Road, Cooper Road, GPO, Lytton Road, Nabha Road, Cordoba Chowk, Empress Road, Ek Moria Bridge, Do Moria Bridge, Sultan Ahmed Road, Ichhra, Tajpura, Chowk Nakhoda, Bhati Gate, Allah Hu Chowk, Qainchi Stop, Teka Chowk, Firdous Market, Shah Jamal and Jinnah Hospital U-turn.

According to WASA officials, separate arrangements have been made to ensure rainwater drainage in the best possible way in the sensitive areas. They said the LDA and LWMC would support WASA in coping with the situation. Meanwhile, WASA Managing Director Ghafran Ahmed has cancelled the leave of employees during July.

He told The Express Tribune that in view of the forecast of more monsoon rains, steps were being taken to provide better facilities to the citizens by making the optimum use of all available resources. The MD also presided over a meeting held at the WASA head office regarding the monsoon preparations. All the directors, executive engineers and sub-divisional officers of the organisation attended the meeting.

MD Ghafran Ahmed said all the directors would have to work harder than before to cope with the rains. He instructed the officials to keep the emergency camps active, ensure staff attendance and make sure that the dewatering sets and other machinery is fully operational and cleanliness is maintained at all disposal stations.

The MD said that the holidays of the operational staff had been cancelled due to Eid and monsoon.

Generators will be used in case of power outage at all disposal stations and fuel supply for the purpose has been ensured.

After the rains, all the officers along with their staff and machinery will remain present in the field till the complete drainage of water.

The official said construction of underground water tanks at Kashmir Road and Sheranwala Gate had been completed and the Sultan Ahmed Road disposal station activated.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2022.