GUJRAT: The Gujrat Municipal Corporation (GtMC) on Saturday formally handed over its human resource and machinery relating to the water supply and sanitation to the recently-established Water and Sanitation Agency in Gujrat.

The handing-over was done through the signatures of Gujrat Commissioner Naveed Haider Sheerazi in his capacity as corporation administrator, chief officer Khalid Daad Gara, Managing Director of Wasa Kashaan Hafeez Butt signed the official document.

As per official details, at least 124 officials including 65 of water supply branch as well as 30 sewermen, 14 disposal operators, five plumbers and others whereas machinery have also been handed over to the Gujrat Wasa.

Moreover, 10 disposal stations, 59 water supply tubewells, at least 57 km long open drains located in different parts of the city have also been taken over by Wasa.

Earlier last year, 300 sanitary workers and machinery of MC’s sanitation branch were transferred to a private firm as per an agreement between the Gujranwala waste management company and a private firm under the Punjab cheif minister’s Suthra Punjab initiative.

Now with the transfer of major resources and functions to Wasa and Gwmc, the role of GtMC as the city’s main civic agency has been reduced.

On the other hand, the Gujrat waste management company (GtWMC) that had been established by the then Punjab cheif minister Chaudhary Parvez Elahi in his hometown back in 2022, is yet to officially take over its major task as the incumbent Punjab government had notified its board of directors a few months ago and also appointed a grade 18 officer of provincial management service (PMS) Zulfiqar Ahmed as first ever cheif executive officer of the company in Gujrat.

Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif had made Wasa functional during the recent urban flooding in Gujrat around a month ago and the housing department made the initial appointment of the Wasa hierarchy in Gujrat.

Official sources said the public health and engineering department staff in the district had also been merged into the Wasa.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2025