LAHORE: The government on Monday approved establishment of water and sanitation agencies (Wasas) in 22 more districts, making availability of the water and sanitation facility to all 41 districts across Punjab.

The government also approved expansion of the parks & horticulture authorities (PHAs) to another nine districts, making presence of the authority in 19 districts. The notifications [separately] have also been issued for the establishment of newly-created Wasas and PHAs, according to documents available with Dawn.

“With establishment of Wasas in another 22 districts, we, now, have presence in all 41 district headquarters,” Wasa Punjab Director General Tayyab Farid said while talking to Dawn on Monday.

According to him, since the notifications have been issued, there is one-month time for the transition of the local water and sanitation system (operated by municipal corporations/committees) owned by the local government & community development department) to the newly-formed Wasas.

Province gets full water coverage; new agencies likely to be operative by next month-end

“Hopefully, the new agencies will start working by next month’s end,” he said, adding that the process of hiring MDs would also start very soon.

The districts wherein Wasas have been set up include Layyah, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Khanewal, Pakpattan, Vehari, Kasur, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Chakwal, Attock, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Wazirabad, Bahawalnagar, Kot Addu, Talagang and Taunsa.

To a question, Mr Farid said, the districts of Kot Addu, Talagang and Taunsa would have sub-Wasa since their population don’t require a full-fledged water and sanitation agency. Keeping in view this, these districts have been attached with the Muzaffargarh, Chakwal and Layyah, respectively.

Earlier, the Wasas have been expanded to 14 districts. These Wasas had started working in the last week of September this year in the districts of Sialkot and Gujrat, the worst-hit by urban flooding, and Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Rahim Yar Khan, Jhang, Okara, Sheikhupura, Murree and Nankana Sahib.

The preparation of the sectoral plans for these 14 districts is about to be completed under the scope of work including comprehensive assessment of the existing infrastructure and identification of service delivery gaps in water supply, sewerage and storm water management, estimation of present and future urban needs, along with investment requirements, integration of climate resilience into planning frameworks, development of phased strategies and financial plans for infrastructure improvement and recommendations for institutional strengthening and capacity enhancement of the Wasas.

“Since we already had Wasas for long in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi, the number of Wasas with 22 new created on Monday and 14 started working in September, would be 41,” the DG said.

On the other hand, the government also issued notification for the establishment of PHAs in nine more districts including Rahim Yar Khan, Okara, Khushab, Khanewal, Nankana Sahib, Jhelum, Muzaffargarh, Sheikhupura and Jhang. The districts where the PHA are already operational included Sargodha, Sahiwal, DG Khan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

“Ultimately, the PHAs too are to reach all 41 districts of the province, as the work is underway at the moment,” Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department Secretary retired Capt Noorul Amin Mengal told Dawn when contacted.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2025