ITU, Wasa sign MoU on solutions to water issues

LAHORE: Information Technology University (ITU) is all set to develop smart solutions pertaining to water related projects for Water & Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Lahore Development Authority (LDA), of Housing Urban Development & Public Health Engineering Department (HUD&PHED) Government of Punjab, through research based innovative application of technology. Prof Dr Umar Saif, ITU founding Vice Chancellor, said this after signing an MoU with Wasa officials here on Monday. Dr Saif said ITU would develop innovative system for Wasa to digitally monitor in real-time rain and water pond tracks by installing a low cost in-house developed devise at 25 different locations of Lahore. He added this was aimed to be deployed in the upcoming monsoon season. The installations of sensors at tube-wells and disposal stations would make them intelligent, effective and economically efficient by reducing electricity charges of up to twenty per cent per annum, he added.

The VC said Wasa would be a new sector that would benefit from ITU, as ITU was already contributing in other public sector departments such as improvement of vaccination system and crops by using satellite imagery. Wasa and ITU shall cooperate and collaborate for the research and development activities with a prime focus on design and development of hardware and software units, he said.

Wasa MD Syed Zahid Aziz said ITU’s technological interventions for online ponding areas would ensure effectiveness and establish credibility that would modernise Wasa. We were already having coordination in 21 different sectors with PITB, where Citizen Complaint Centre (CCC) is helping Wasa to improve its functioning and rectifying the problems reported by the public, he added.