No Wasa rainwater project yet

LAHORE
As the underground water level in the provincial capital is depleting fast, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is yet to launch its ‘innovative’ pilot project ‘Rainwater Harvesting System’, which was announced in June last year.
Under this system, the agency has planned to establish 39 sore points for collecting rainwater to recharge the underground aquifer. Last year, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) prepared a working paper and it had been claimed that the authority was going to launch a pilot project in the provincial capital under which two recharge wells - one at Gaddafi Stadium and other at Lakshami Chowk - would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs18.5 million.
A senior LDA official said rapid urbanisation and high population growth rate directly affected the water demand for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes. The only source of water supply in the city is the groundwater aquifer, which is depleting.
Recently, while talking with The News, the Wasa managing director admitted the fact that Lahore’s underground water had depleted to a very dangerous level and they had asked the Punjab government to allow the agency to use canal water to fulfil the water demand.
Sources in Wasa revealed that over 2000 public and private tube wells were extracting around 4,000 acre-feet water per day, resulting in a rapid depletion of groundwater.
“Rainwater harvesting is one potential solution to this problem. During heavy rains, especially in the monsoon season, accumulate on the roads and open spaces, thus becoming a source of traffic hazard and health-related issues including dengue and malaria. Passing the rainwater to the underground aquifer is an efficient manner of managing above-mentioned issues,” LDA’s working paper said.
According to a senior LDA official, in many parts of the world, rainwater is frequently used to deal with water scarcity and urban flooding. It is an important source of recharging water table and being used for many purposes, including irrigation and farming.
But the situation in Pakistan is totally different as rainwater makes its way towards the drains. “In this way, we allow huge amount of fresh water to run off our roads and pavements into the drains where it mixes with the sewage and heads straight towards the rivers,” he noted. He further says at many places, rainwater accumulate as ponds and puddles and becomes breeding ground for insects and vectors resulting in outbreak of diseases. Massive traffic jams are also observed due to urban flooding and chaos on the roads brings misery to the residents, while the municipal authorities have to hectic efforts to pump out the water and to clean up the roads.
Describing the objectives of the project, the working paper says it aims at using rainwater for recharging the groundwater as well as using many purposes including irrigation and farming. It is also going to be of great assistance when it comes to dealing with water scarcity and urban flooding.
The main objectives of this project is utilisation of the rainwater for groundwater recharge and other multipurpose activities, to avoid rainwater discharge in municipal sewers, to devise the policy for appropriate rainwater harvesting system in Lahore especially in critical ponding areas, to study and design various rainwater harvesting techniques (collection, storage, groundwater recharge) under varying local conditions, to find out the complete solution for avoiding ponding.
On the other hand, officials in Wasa said they had already identified 39 sore points in the entire service area of Lahore. They are: Lakshami Chowk, Kashmir Road, Cooper Road, Fazlia Colony, Rehman Gallian, Malik Park Bilal Gunj, Lytton Road, Nasir Park (Tonga Adda) Bilal Gunj, Plaza Cinema, Secondary Board (near the junction of Lawrence Road and Mozang Road), Nabha Road, Empress Road, Church Road, Block-L Gulberg, Qartaba Chowk, Park Lane Road, Mini Market Gulberg, Gaddafi Stadium, Muhammad Nagar (Garhi Shahu), Railway Station, Green Verge Main Boulevard Gulberg, Shah Jamal Roundabout, Abid Market, Timber Market, Do Moria Pull, Outside Bhatti Gate, Latif Chowk, Main Bazaar Begum Kot, Block-H Sabzazaar, Chowk Yateem Khana, Johar Town, Sultan Mehmood Road Ichhara, Shabab Chowk Samanabad, Doongi Ground Samanabad, Mustafa Town and Block-E Tajpura.
Sources said last year, the LDA issued a tender notice for the pilot project on the basis of Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC), but the tender didn’t get any response.
The News tried to reach Wasa MD Ch Naseer but he didn’t respond to the calls. The News also tried to contact LDA Director Engineer Mian Ejaz who also didn’t attend his official cell phone.