Punjab on alert, WASAs asked to complete monsoon prep by May 31

The Punjab Water and Sanitation Authority (PWSA) has asked all five Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASAs) in the province to complete their monsoon preparations by May 31.

During a performance review meeting held on Saturday, PWSA Director General Tayyab Farid stressed the urgent need to clean sewer lines, repair heavy machinery, and set up monsoon camps before the pre-monsoon season begins on June 15, according to a report by APP.

“Revenue recovery is critical to maintaining water and sewerage services,” Farid said, emphasizing that WASAs must also improve their financial performance to keep essential services running smoothly.

The meeting was attended by managing directors and officers from all five WASAs. Farid said that in addition to technical preparations, low-lying areas must be identified, and training drills should be conducted with emergency services to prepare for possible flooding.

Meanwhile, WASA Rawalpindi Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf gave a briefing on his agency’s progress. He said cleaning of sewer lines was already underway and would be completed before the deadline.

He added that WASA Rawalpindi has functional heavy machinery including sucker and jetting machines and dewatering pumps ready to respond to emergencies. The agency has also asked the Punjab Government for funds to clean Leh Nullah and 15 other main drains in the city.

Low-lying areas in Rawalpindi have already been identified with the help of the district administration, and trained staff with machinery will be deployed at those points during heavy rains. Saleem also shared that mock exercises will be held in collaboration with Rescue 1122 and other agencies at Leh Nullah and Rawal Dam.

WASA Rawalpindi will also set up five monsoon camps across the city that will operate 24/7, and a control room at the head office will monitor the situation and handle complaints.

On the revenue side, WASA Rawalpindi recovered Rs1.7 billion last year, exceeding its target of Rs1.57 billion. The target for this year is Rs2.3 billion, and Saleem said he expects to beat that figure as well.