Wasa submits proposals for eight sewerage upgrade plans

LAHORE:Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has submitted concept clearance proposals for eight mega sewerage upgrade plans to the Punjab Planning and Development Board.

Sources in Wasa revealed that the tentative cost of these eight mega sewerage projects was around Rs54,345.3 million. Sources said Wasa has demanded the Punjab government release funds for these projects or engage some donor agency to facilitate the funding.

The projects included sewerage improvement plan of Ferozepur Road with a tentative cost of Rs 16,494.50 million, sewerage improvement plan of Shahdara with a tentative cost of Rs 4,314.74 million, sewerage improvement plan of Allama Iqbal Town with a tentative cost of Rs 6,883.70 million, sewerage improvement plan of Gulberg, Lahore with a tentative cost of Rs 8,939.23 million, sewerage Improvement Plan of Garden Town and Faisal Town with a tentative cost of Rs 5,973.57 million, sewerage Improvement Plan of North East side of Lahore with a tentative cost of Rs 6,033.50 million, sewerage Improvement Plan of Lahore Branch Canal from Jinnah Hospital to Thokar Niaz and from Thokar to Kattar Bund with a tentative cost of Rs 3,006.80 million and sewerage Improvement Plan for areas located along Lahore Branch Canal (LBC) from Doctor's Hospital to Bahria Town with a tentative cost of Rs 2,699.26 million.

Sources said that the unplanned expansion of the provincial metropolis has caused a lot of problem for Wasa as no proper sewerage system is present for newly developed housing schemes. They said the citizens were also facing problems due to the unavailability of sewerage system. Most of the housing societies located on Ferozpur Road after Chungi Amarsadhu didn’t have a proper sewerage system. Similarly, several residential localities situated on Raiwind Road, Canal Bank Road (after Johar Town) are facing the same issue.

Sources said there were no sewerage system and drains with which these areas can connect their internal sewerage systems. They said there is a need for construction of more sewerage drains in various city areas while many rain water drains in different localities like Faisal Town, Johar Town and adjoining areas have already been converted into sewerage drains. This is why these localities faced more problems in monsoon season. Wasa Managing Director Syed Zahid Aziz said that the sewerage system of Wasa laid in LDA’s areas a long time ago needed immediate upgrade. He said the new sewerage upgrading proposals were made after careful and detailed survey of the localities and as per the need of the citizens. He said Wasa was always committed to providing best possible services to the citizens and in this regard a state of the art complaint registration center was also established at old LDA building on Egerton Road. He said more customer facilitation centers will also be established in different city localities.