Faisalabad lacks system to use rainwater

FAISALABAD: With an average annual rainfall of 346mm, Faisalabad receives a generous amount of natural, clean and free water. However, due to the city’s poor drainage infrastructure, this valuable resource is routinely lost and converted into black water as it mixes with sewage and flows into the sewer system.

As a result, not only this freshwater is wasted, but the crisis of groundwater contamination and depletion becomes more severe. Most residents of Faisalabad rely on underground water, which is increasingly being polluted by industrial waste and untreated sewage. This growing contamination poses serious health risks and adds to long-term environmental concerns.

Although Faisalabad has an existing storm water drainage system, its design flaws have led to major inefficiencies. Back in 1994, storm water drains were included in urban planning along major roads. Later, institutions such as NESPAK and NLC spent billions of rupees building deeper channels to safely carry rainwater out of the city. However, a critical error occurred when these storm drains were connected to the city’s sewage lines. As a result, during rainfall, storm water mixes with sewage, causing manholes to overflow and roads to flood.

According to Wasa, Faisalabad’s sewer system was never designed to handle rainwater drainage. Still, the utility is burdened with managing this extra load. Despite the recurring nature of this crisis, it has not been addressed with the seriousness it deserves. Encouragingly, experts point to a simple, low-cost, and effective solution: groundwater recharge wells. Faisalabad has around 350 potential sites where such wells could be constructed to channel rainwater directly into the ground. This would not only help replenish underground water tables but also reduce urban flooding and drainage issues.

This idea is not entirely new. A few years ago, the then Wasa managing director Zahid Aziz and DCO Noorul Amin Mengal launched a pilot project in D-Ground featuring ten recharge wells. Unfortunately, the initiative was abandoned after administrative transfers. However, the complete design remains available in Wasa’s records and can be updated and implemented today. Rather than investing billions in expanding the sewerage system alone, incorporating rainwater harvesting and recharge systems into city planning would be a smarter, more sustainable policy choice. Faisalabad now stands at a critical crossroads. The question is not whether to spend more or less, but whether to ignore this growing crisis or take timely action to safeguard the future.

Rainwater conservation is no longer just an environmental concern, it’s a necessity for Faisalabad’s public health, economy and sustainable development.A key member of the Shah gang was killed in an encounter near Chak 237/RB in the jurisdiction of Sadr police station.

The shootout occurred when the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Iqbal Division was en route to arrest a suspect, and four armed men opened fire on the police vehicle.According to the police, during the exchange of fire, Atif alias Aati was killed while his three accomplices managed to escape. Atif was a wanted criminal, allegedly involved in numerous cases including the murder of a Dolphin Force constable, Asif, during an earlier encounter and the killing of two women in Jaranwala.

BS CRIMINOLOGY PROGRAMME: The Department of Rural Sociology at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) is set to launch a new BS Criminology programme. The decision was formally approved during a meeting of the university’s Academic Council, chaired by Vice Chancellor Dr Zulfiqar Ali.

The agenda was presented by Registrar Umar Saeed Qadri. The introduction of this new degree programme aims to provide students with expanded educational opportunities within the social sciences. The BS in Criminology will equip students for promising careers not only in the public sector, but also in the private sector, research institutions, and various professional organisations where criminology expertise is in demand. The university officials stated that the programme was designed to meet the growing need for criminology professionals in multiple sectors across Pakistan.

WOMAN KILLS HUSBAND: A woman allegedly murdered her husband with the help of her alleged lover at Madina Town.Police reported that Nawaz had warned his wife’s alleged lover Shoaib to stay away from their home. Nawaz returned home late at night and caught Shoaib and his wife Humaira in the same room. In the ensuing confrontation, Humaira and Shoaib allegedly strangled Nawaz to death. Both have been arrested and a case has been registered against them.