Wasa completes phase-I of sewerage system

Rawalpindi: Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has completed first phase of sewerage system in UC-70, UC-71, UC-72, UC-73, UC-74 and UC-75 in cost of Rs170 million while the Phase II of the project will be completed next year.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Director Water Supply Afzal Baloch told ‘The News’ on Thursday that Punjab government has already released funds of Rs470 million to complete 6.5-kilometer long project of trunk sewerage system from Korang to Kurri.

He said that they were trying to improve best sewerage system in seven UCs of Shakriyal-I,II, Khanna-I, II and Gulzar-e-Quaid. Work of Phase-I has been completed while Phase-II work will be completed in next year as we are laying sewerage lines in depth of 45-feet.

He said that 60 per cent areas of the garrison city are without a better sewerage system while only 40 per cent areas enjoying good sewerage system. Punjab government has started improving sewerage system in the city and one-by-one in phases work will be done, he claimed.

In first phase, Punjab government approved a sanitation project for Shamsabad and adjoining areas falling in the constituencies of PP-14 and PP-6. It is worth mentioning here that that an outdated sewerage system laid in the downtown areas in the late 70s needs replacement.

New pipelines need to be laid in Satellite Town, Khayaban-i-Sir Syed and the eastern side of Murree Road such as Sadiqabad and Chah Sultan localities. In Asghar Mall, Bagh Sardaran, Raja Bazaar, Gangmandi, Pirwdahi etc. the sewerage lines were laid in the 60s and 70s, respectively. With the passage of time, each of the sewers got overloaded due to the increase in the population.

Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director Raja Shaukat said that they were not only improving sewerage system of the city but trying to provide pure drinking water to its people. “There are total 450 tube wells providing water to the city people. But, water level continuously aquifer (going down and down), he said. We are getting water from Rawal Dam and Khanpur Dam but we need more and more resources of water, he said.