GUJRAT: The public health and engineering department has prepared a feasibility plan to fix the longstanding problem of poor drainage system of the city, according to which the most troubled portion of the drainage system will be revamped for Rs250 million.

Muhammad Bashir, executive engineer of the department, told Dawn that three schemes for revamping the sewerage system had been forwarded to the authorities concerned for necessary action; after approval they would be completed before the start of next rainy season.

Officials of the Municipal Corporation’s (MC) sanitation and engineering branch said the most troubled portion of the city was the area starting from Servis Morr to Shadman Colony, Rehman Shaheed Road, Jail Chowk, Kutchehry Chowk up to Bole disposal station along Gujrat-Jalalpur Jattan road and Jinnah Road from Prince Chowk to Jail Chowk where water would accumulate after more than 24 hours of rain.

“People residing in the troubled areas cannot travel on their vehicles and are sometimes compelled to stay home due to the submerged streets, which has been a cause of major concern for the civic agency and administration,” the officials said.

A senior MC official said the sewerage line from Jail Chowk to Bole disposal station and that from Mehmda Chowk of Bhimbher Road to Kutchehry Chowk had been laid in 2006-07. But both the lines were defective in terms of water flow to the disposal station that resulted in dislocating the pipe and manholes within a couple of years of their construction causing serious damage to the roads as well as properties located in the areas.

He further said sewage and rainwater flowed towards the city from Qadir Colony, Model Town, Madina Syedan, Mehmda and Marghzar Colony in the outskirts of the city along Bhimbher Road and got choked at Jail Chowk, Kutchehry Chowk, Rehman Shaheed Road and Jinnah Road.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa told Dawn that the Punjab government had approved funds of Rs250 million for revamping the sewerage system on the recommendations of Mayor Haji Nasir Mehmood and his nephew PML-N MPA Imran Zafar, and Rs50 million had been released as an initial instalment.

As per the engineering department’s proposal, an open drain will be constructed from Shadman Colony to Servis Morr up to the Government Comprehensive School along old GT road from where it would be linked to Rehmania storm water channel to drain out sewerage and rainwater. A second scheme involves construction of a new sewerage line from Shadman Colony to Jail Chowk, Kutchehry Chowk to Bole disposal station. These two schemes will cost at least Rs210 million. The third is revamping the drainage system from Prince Chowk to Jail Chowk along Jinnah Road at Rs40 million.

According to Mayor Mehmood, the recently laid sewerage from GTS Chowk to Fawara Chowk and Ram Piyari Palace along Circular Road has become functional, showing the level of commitment in resolving one of the city’s major problems.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2017