CM wants drainage system ready by June

Orders work round the clock on projects

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has set a deadline to complete all drainage projects in the province before June, ordering that the work be carried out round the clock.

In a meeting, she instructed relevant authorities to ensure the completion of sewerage and rainwater drainage projects prior to the monsoon season.

Drainage projects are under way in Sargodha, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Okara, Jhang, Multan, Sialkot, Jhelum, Hafizabad, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib and Rawalpindi.

Officials said while briefing the CM that a total of 2,265 kilometres of sewerage and 189km of rainwater drainage pipelines would be laid for 15 cities.

In the first phase, 86 disposal stations and nine underground storage tanks will be constructed.

Upon completion of the sewerage and drainage projects, 752km of roads will also be developed.

In the meeting chaired by the chief minister, the design of Water and Sewerage Agency (WASA) complexes for 15 cities was approved.

The complexes will also include hostel facilities for officers.

The CM was informed that ongoing projects were being monitored in real-time through a WASA dashboard and mobile application.

Instructions were also issued for WASA to initiate a large-scale desilting campaign of drains before the monsoon season.