Wasa plans to convert disposal stations to solar energy

LAHORE: Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has planned to convert five of its major disposal stations to solar energy.

This was revealed by Wasa Managing Director Syed Zahid Aziz during an online performance review meeting of all Wasas in Punjab. The online meeting was chaired by Salman Shah, Finance Adviser to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. The meeting also discussed capacity building issues of all Wasas. The meeting was attended by MD Multan, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and other organisations.

Zahid Aziz told the meeting that Wasa Lahore wanted to convert five major disposal stations- Shadbagh, Sabzazar, Baghbanpura, Farrukhabad and Shadipura- to solar power under PPP mode.

Briefing the meeting, he said Wasa Lahore has adopted international standards for its finance department, which were developed by Ferguson & Co. He said Fincon's services have been enlisted for the Financial Management Information System and their recommendations were being implemented in a phased manner.

The Punjab government is setting up a regulatory body for the Water Act 2019 for all water utilities in accordance with international methods of tariff rationalisation, he maintained and added that in addition, a new scheme under ADP worth Rs100million has already been approved for Wasa Lahore's solar power conversion project.

The MD told the meeting that for rainwater conservation and storage, 11 underground water tanks were being constructed in Lahore in which around 20 million gallons of rainwater can be stored.

Syed Zahid Aziz said Wasa Lahore was also recovering aquifer charges for water pumped out by 267 tube wells installed in 310 private housing societies. He told the meeting that Wasa Lahore has shifted its 596 tube wells, 14 disposal stations, 133 lift stations, 6 primary drains, 5864 water supply lines, 4974 sewerage lines, 756,894 customer connections and an area of 350 sq km in GIS map.

Rescue training: Director General Emergency Services Dr Rizwan Naseer formally inaugurated 6-day rescue training for urban search and rescue team of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) at Emergency Services Academy on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Rizwan said that Emergency Service has designed a specialised Rescue Training Programme to enhance the capacity of AKAH teams in the field of search and rescue in the academy. The Emergency Services Academy has imparted training to 21 thousand rescuers from all provinces of Pakistan and Pakistan Rescue Team is the first team to be certified by United Nations INSARAG in South Asia.

DG Emergency Services said that professional training is the backbone & operations are face of the Service, therefore, we cannot compromise on quality of training.

Earlier, the Course Coordinator Engr. Zohaib Asghar apprised the DG Emergency Services about the main features of the course. This course shall be monitored by Dr Farhan Khalid Registrar Emergency Services Academy.

land retrieved: An anti-encroachment operation was carried out against illegal occupants in Muridke Railway Station Yard on Monday on the directions of Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways Lahore Division Mian Tariq Latif.

As a result of operation, one kanal of valuable land worth Rs10 million was retrieved and handed over to Station Master Muridke. The authorities demolished Landa Bazaar, chicken meat and khokha shops which were set up on the said land.

DS Railway Mian Tariq said that the operations against the occupation mafia will be continued and every inch of railway land will be vacated.