Rs55b drinking water, sewerage facilities projects underway: Wasa MD

FAISALABAD: Wasa Managing Director Jabbar Anwar Chaudhry Wednesday said mega projects worth Rs 55 billion were underway to provide clean drinking water and sewerage facilities to citizens of Faisalabad.

Addressing a function organized by All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association and Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce in honour of Wasa officers, the Wasa MD said all these projects would be completed in three years and the state of the city would be changed.

He said industrial community is the pride of the city and their problems will be addressed on a priority basis.

He said a 44 million gallon wastewater treatment plant worth Rs 19 billion with the support of the Danish government, a French water supply project worth Rs 16 billion Phase II to provide 30 million gallons of drinking water daily would be established.

He said other projects include water supply network to the eastern part at a cost of Rs 7 billion in collaboration with the JICA, major water supply lines to be laid at a cost of Rs 5 billion from the Punjab government. And these projects will be completed over the next three years which will provide the citizens with the best facilities of clean drinking water and sewerage system, he maintained.

The MD Wasa said after consultation with the government, it has set targets for the next three years for which all capabilities will be utilised. First of all, it has banned the use of development funds as non-development funds and this was a difficult decision that is being implemented. The direction of Wasa Faisalabad has been corrected and positive results will emerge in the future.

Jabbar said a safety plan has been prepared to protect the lives of Wasa workers force under which they are being equipped with protective clothing, oxygen cylinders, shoes and other equipment.

He said the Punjab Chief Minister's package would be a multi-dimensional one which would greatly improve the rehabilitation, expansion, installation of new machinery and repair of machinery, suckers, jet machines, de-watering sets and other matters.

On the demand that the industry should not be shut down, the MD said he wanted to introduce a culture that respects the industry so that problems can be solved quickly.

Even now, if there is no water on the road, you can run the industry as long as you want. Regularly design it so that residential areas do not have a problem. He maintained that Lahore-style underground storage tanks are being constructed on Djikot Road and inverter green belts will be constructed in the city which will solve the problem of standing water on the roads to a great extent.

He clarified that 90 percent of the problems in the breakdown of sewerage lines are due to the irresponsibility of citizens.