LAHORE: Various sewerage and water supply projects are causing dust pollution and health issues for the citizens while they are also damaging the greenbelts/green areas, service roads and other infrastructure due to excavations and civil works in parts of the city, including Johar Town.

While the situation is worsening as the smog has started surrounding the city, the pace of work on some schemes under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) and Lahore Development Programme (LDP) has slowed down due to diversion of development funds to flood-affected areas, Dawn has learnt.

“A number of residents and commuters falling are getting affected by these development projects, especially the Khayaban-e-Firdausi (Johar Town) where the construction work is underway for the last many months. Its completion (a new trunk sewer and water supply lines) doesn’t seem to be possible in December, since the pace is slow,” said a local resident while talking to Dawn on Thursday.

According to him, the construction works have destroyed several greenbelts and affected a number of trees on the project routes.

Many projects face delay as govt diverts funds to flood-hit areas

From Shaukat Khanum intersection to Civic Centre, the entire Khayaban-e-Firdausi Road’s median, greenbelts and trees have been badly damaged by the construction work, causing loss of millions of rupees to the Parks & Horticulture Authority (PHA) that worked hard in developing and maintaining these green areas.

According to another resident, the Wasa officers concerned are not monitoring the project activities well as there are no water-sprinkling arrangements on the project sites which is leading to severe dust pollution and the diseases like cough, allergy, infections, fever etc.

“At the moment, no digging work is underway to lay trunk sewer lines up to Shauq Chowk from the F-1 Block (Khayaban-e-Firdausi). I don’t know the reason for this delay,” he said, adding that the only work being done at the site was the construction of road from Shaukat Khanum Intersection to F-1 Block (opposite Civic Centre).

An insider in Wasa also confirmed the slow pace of work and massive damage to the greenbelts because of the construction works.

When contacted, Wasa Johar Town Executive Engineer Faizan Imtiaz dispelled the impression of the delay, saying that the works are underway.

“But it is true that the contractor has slowed down the work due to the delay in release of funds. But despite all this, we are set to start excavation and laying sewer lines in next couple of days from Bismilla Chowk (F-1 Block) onwards to Shauq Chowk,” he maintained, adding that the project’s completion was expected in March (not December), subject to availability of funds.

According to Wasa Managing Director Ghufran Ahmad, the cost estimation of such projects included allocation of funds for restoration of the greenbelts, roads, utility services affected during execution of various works.

“We have already transferred funds to the PHA and other departments concerned for various restoration works. We are also concerned about the problems the residents, commuters have been facing due to excavations, dust pollution etc,” he said, adding that Wasa’s main focus at the moment was to complete the development schemes as early as possible.

MEETING: As “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” initiative continues to provide loans to deserving families for the construction of their own homes, the government says that the target of providing loans to 100,000 families has been set by the end of October.

A review meeting was also held here on Thursday wherein the programme director gave a detailed briefing to the participants on the progress made so far.

The meeting was informed that 95,600 families had already been provided with loans for house construction.

According to the spokesperson for the housing department, out of 82,931 houses currently under construction, 20,940 have been completed, while 59,510 families have received the second installment to complete the construction.

The spokesperson further stated that over Rs113bn had been disbursed so far in the form of loans among the deserving families.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2025