LAHORE: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved on Wednesday the country’s first innovative sewerage system for Lahore, advising Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to follow the model.

“Finally, we have succeeded in getting this first-of-its-kind innovative project in Pakistan, approved for Lahore from the CDWP in a meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday. After completion of this Rs14.165 billion project the severe sewerage/drainage issues in Lahore will be eliminated,” a senior Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) official told Dawn.

The project, Sewerage System from Larex Colony to Gulshan-i-Ravi and Mustafabad to Samanabad Mor, which had been submitted by Wasa to the Punjab government through the Housing and Physical Planning Department in 2014 was approved by the provincial development working party (PDWP) in 2017.

Completion of project to leave various drains for disposal of storm, rainwater alone

However, it couldn’t be implemented due to various issues related to funds arrangement, political uncertainty, interim government and general elections. The new government also left many important matters pending for long. Since there were no funds available for the project, Wasa managed to convince the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to fully fund this scheme through a soft loan.

“After the AIIB’s willingness, we revised the cost estimation and re-submitted this scheme to PDWP that approved it. And finally, the CDWP accorded approval on Wednesday,” the official explained.

According to a document, after execution of this project, the existing 12 pumping stations would not be required and Wasa would only need to construct a disposal station at Gulshan-i-Ravi. A new trunk sewer from Larex Colony, Durand Road, to Gulshan-i-Ravi pump station would be laid by using modern tunnel boring machines.

The second part of the trunk sewer line, under package-2, will start from Infantry Road and end at Gulshan-i-Ravi and Mustafabad, joining the proposed reinforced concrete conduit at Samanabad Mor on Multan Road, and it will go to Gulshan-i-Ravi disposal station.

The PC-I states that the project will help resolve various sanitation issues in a number of areas and the overall environment of the city. The main objective of the project is to provide improved facility of sewerage for proper collection, conveyance and disposal of domestic sewage for the people of Larex Colony, Garhi Shahu, Durand Road, Bibian Pak Daman, Simla Hill, Cooper Road, Lakshmi Chowk, McLeod Road, GPO intersection, Nabha Road, Lower Mall, Chauburji, Multan Road, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Mustafabad, Basti Saidan Shah, Mian Mir Colony, Gulberg, Shadman, Shah Jamal, Shama Chowk, Rasool Park, Samanabad and others.

“After completion of the project, various drains will be left for the disposal of storm/rainwater alone that will improve the overall environment of the city. This will replace the decades-old system established in the British era that will not be dismantled,” the official added.

He further said that there was a plan to replicate this system in northern and southern Lahore. The existing sewerage system mainly consists of the RCC sewers along with the network of egg-shaped brick masonry sewers and the related appurtenances. There has been an immense increase in population resulting into an increase in sewage flow, making the system deficient for the population. Furthermore, the system has outlived its operational life and there are frequent maintenance problems.

“The upgraded system will benefit the entire population and make disposal of sewage more efficient as well as storm water from the catchment area. It will be a model project and can be replicated in other cities,” reads the project document.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2019