The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has requested Rs15.87 billion from the Punjab government to purchase sewage machinery and build underground tanks to protect citizens from rainwater accumulation in the streets during the monsoon season.
According to officials, the civic organisation is preparing a list of development schemes worth Rs12 billion after receiving a nod from the government in this regard. However, WASA provides services in only 15 per cent of the total area of Lahore.
Underground sewerage and water supply lines have completed their life but have not been replaced because of unavailability of funds.
The officials said WASA Managing Director Ghafran Ahmad had submitted a detailed report to the Punjab government regarding the procurement of sewage and water supply machinery along with building an underground water tank in the city at a cost of Rs15.87 billion.
The report mentions 25 projects for the replacement of sewage lines to address recurring complaints of problems faced by residents of various areas.
The plan will cover the areas of Kot Khawaja Saeed, Circle Road, Shah Almi Chowk, Data Nagar, Badami Bagh, Lajpat Road, Farrukhabad, Ghore Shah, Shahdara, Chowk Baba Azam, Liaquat Chowk, Nadeem Shaheed Road, Samanabad, Haji Park, Rajgarh, Aiwan-e-Quaid, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Nila Gumbad to Civil Line College, Peco Road, Akbar Shaheed Road, Main Boulevard Faisal Town, Model Town Link, Satokatla, Bostan Colony and Khayaban Firdosi.
The cost of the projects has been estimated at Rs9.76 billion.
In addition, the allocation of Rs4.39 billion has been requested for purchasing machinery for cleaning the wastewater pump drains in the monsoon and dewatering sets.
Another Rs1.47 billion has been sought for the project of constructing the underground tank for the immediate drainage of water from the roads during monsoon rains to protect the citizens from loses.
Underground water tanks have already been built at Lawrence Road and Sheranwala but five more tanks planned at the Sabzi Mandi, Badami Bagh, Gaddafi Stadium and Kot Lakhpat Railway Station could not be constructed due to lack of funds.
The WASA MD told The Express Tribune that a summary has been sent to the chief minister regarding the purchase of equipment and replacement of sewage lines, acquiring dewatering sets and cleaning the drains in the areas served by the agency.
He said lists of projects costing Rs12 billion area being prepared on the government’s directives so that work on the development schemes can be started as soon as the funds are available.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 24th, 2024.
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