RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has directed the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) to prepare a plan to address shortcomings in the garrison city’s sewerage system.

Wasa has been asked to submit it to the government within two weeks.

This was revealed by Punjab Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal during a meeting. Punjab Wasa Director General Tayyab Farid and Wasa Rawalpindi Managing Director Saleem Ashraf gave a briefing.

In the garrison city, only 40 per cent of areas have a sewerage system, while the remaining 60 per cent are without a proper one. Due to the faulty sewerage and drainage system, floods occur in the city when the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and adjoining areas receive heavy rainfall during the monsoon.

Wasa directed to submit a plan within two weeks

In view of the situation, the senior official of the Urban Development Department said the Punjab government had decided to launch a mega project in Rawalpindi to address the issues of sewerage and water shortage, similar to the one started in Lahore.

He said that under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision, Rawalpindi’s sewerage system would be improved as part of the Punjab Development Programme.

“Work is underway on the formation of a master plan for the water and sewerage system in Rawalpindi,” he said.

Noorul Amin Mengal said that the water supply and sewerage system would be improved within a year.

He added that the construction of Chirah Dam would make it possible to supply 28 million gallons of water daily to the city.

He said Wasa Rawalpindi would install a water distribution network and surface water treatment plants. “About 40 per cent of the sewerage system exists in Rawalpindi, and 100 percent of the area will be covered by June 2026,” he said.

To conserve rainwater, he said underground water tanks would be constructed, and the stored water would be used for plants and other purposes. He emphasised the dire need to improve the water supply system as well.

He said the government was working to install sewerage treatment plants in main drains so that clean water would be discharged into Leh Nullah. He added that water from sewerage and rainwater drains would be used for agricultural purposes.

Mr Mengal asked Wasa Rawalpindi to identify the areas and submit small proposals so that the installation of the sewerage system could begin across the garrison city simultaneously. He stressed that planning should be done in collaboration with other departments.

According to official figures, the existing sewerage system of the city covers only about 35 per cent of the areas.

The sewerage system was laid 50 years ago, and the undersized 150 mm sewage lines — normally used for internal domestic sewers — have become old and rusty and can no longer bear the burden of sewage due to the growing population.

The existing sewerage facilities are limited to Satellite Town, Khyaban-e-Sir Syed, Mugha Singh Estate, Asghar Mall Scheme, Eidgah Scheme, Gulshan Dadan Khan, Dhoke Babu Irfan and some downtown areas.

In the remaining 65 per cent of the city, untreated sewage is disposed of in roadside drains where no sewerage system exists. The untreated sewage is discharged into 11 big nullahs, which flow into Leh Nullah.

The 11-km-long Leh Nullah carries untreated sewage from the city and discharges it into the Soan River.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2025