GUJRAT: The Punjab government may get the drainage schemes of Gujrat package, executed by any of the government agency to ensure quality of work.

However, despite of the approval of the first phase of Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz’s Rs 26 billion plan for Gujrat by Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP), the locals apprehend that procedural hitches could further delay the initiation of civil works.

Well placed sources told Dawn that a government to government (G to G) execution of the drainage schemes would be done so that uniformity and quality of work was ensured as per the directions of Punjab CM but the name of the executing agency had not yet been finalised.

The drainage schemes were proposed by the Water and Sanitation Agency to protect Gujrat city from yet another urban flooding in wet season.

They said that technical and procedural processing of the schemes from tendering to the launch of much-needed civil works might consume the entire month of October.

Moreover, they said even the drainage schemes of six other cities of Punjab including Hafizabad, Jhelum, Sargodha, Okara and Dera Ghazi Khan had been approved around two months ago but the civil works could not be initiated there as the authorities concerned had started the procurement of machinery rather than giving priority to the civil works that usually consume more time.

However, they said that in case of Gujrat such a procedural delay in the start of civil work might not be affordable keeping in view the apprehensions of yet another worst urban flooding in the city areas in next monsoon.

During her visit to Gujrat last month, the CM had announced a package of Rs 26 billion for the city aimed at completing a new drainage and sewerage system.Official sources said that though the proposal prepared by Wasa Gujrat contained a number of schemes after weeks of surveys but some major and crucial schemes include an 8km long storm water channel near Boken between Hailsey and Bhinder water channels to divert the flood water coming from the Kashmir hills.

Similarly, at least three major interventions to divert the flood water have been proposed like a disposal station of 100 cusec at Loraiy Chowk, a disposal station of 100 cusec at the corner of Zahoor Elahi Stadium along Jalalpur Jattan road and another disposal station along the same road at Tevta college.

Apart from these schemes, improvement of sewerage system in some city areas and around 1.5 km long open drain near Kathala along the old GT road have also been the part of proposal.

The total Rs 24.5 billion schemes have so far been proposed by the Wasa.

Official sources said the work on at least two to three major interventions such as new storm water channel near Boken and Boley disposal station should be given priority to ensure its execution by the June 30 next year.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2025