City gets tunnel boring facility

Foreign consultants arrive for initial work on sewerage line project

LAHORE:

Initial work on a Rs14 billion tunnel boring project for laying underground sewerage pipelines in Lahore has been started and a team of a foreign consultant firm involved in design and monitoring of the plan has also reached the country.

The team of experts from the United States will oversee the three-year project. It is being funded by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and its PC-I has already been approved by the provincial and federal governments.

According to officials, the sewerage pipelines in most areas of central Lahore have passed their viable life.

Consequently, problems of sewage water drainage in these areas are increasing.

In view of the unavailability of funds from WASA and the Punjab government, various foreign companies were approached for funding the project, upon which the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank offered full support for a soft loan.

The offer was approved by the provincial and federal governments, following which WASA also approved the project’s PC-I and loan application.

As per the plan, an underground sewerage pipeline will be laid from Larex Colony to Shimla Pahari, Queen Road, Punjab Assembly, AG Office and Chauburji through Railway Colony.

The line will reach the Gulshan Ravi Disposal Station via Shamnagar.

The second pipeline will be laid underground from Gulberg Home Economics College through Zafar Ali Road, Shadman, LOS Samanabad to Gulshan Ravi. The length of the project is 28km.

Tunnel boring is a modern method by which the roads will not have to be excavated to lay the sewerage pipeline because of underground boring.

If parts of central Lahore, where the work is to be done, are excavated, the traffic system of the city would be greatly disrupted.

Laying sewerage lines under and alongside buildings is a difficult task. This is the reason why it has been decided to use tunnel boring for laying the pipelines.

In view of the agreement between the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and WASA, Rs14 billion will be spent on the project. The work on the project has kicked off.

A contract has been awarded to a US company to prepare the design feasibility report for the project as well as ensure its monitoring till completion.

A team of consultants has reached Lahore to work on the project, which will complete its work in six months.

The company will send its report to the AIIB, after which tenders will be invited for work in view of the design. The company that meets the criteria will be awarded the work order of laying the underground pipeline.

The planners hope that the project will solve the sewage problems in these areas.

According to the agreement, the project will be completed in three years.

Water and Sanitation Agency Managing Director Ghuffran Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the sewerage pipelines in the areas of central Lahore were many years old. They have reached their age limit and need to be replaced.

However, it was not possible to carry out digging in the areas where the pipelines are to be laid as they have immense traffic. The sewerage pipelines will be laid through tunnel boring for which the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is providing Rs14 billion as loan funding.

A team of IS experts has reached Lahore to do preliminary work and they have started their work, which will be completed in six months. After their work, the tendering process will begin, he said.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2022.