BAHAWALPUR: The western lawns and parts of the famous over-a-century-old Sadiq Library of Bahawalpur has been turned into a sewage pond allegedly due to the negligence of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Dawn has learnt.

The library was established on March 8, 1924 by Sadiq Abbasi V and was inaugurated by the viceroy of India at the time. It remains a seat of learning and is considered a treasure trove full of thousands of rare books, national newspapers’ archives and many rare Quranic manuscripts. The library also has a Quranic gallery on its upper floor.

Despite its importance, the magnificent Italian-style building has been in a dilapidated condition, while its visitors, including a large number of students and researchers, have complained of the unsatisfactory performance and the deliberate negligence by the concerned departments.

Earlier, the Bahawalpur municipal corporation was held responsible for the diversion of sewage into the library’s lawns but after the establishment of Bahawalpur Wasa, now it was being held responsible for this practice. Wasa’s has been diverting the city’s sewage in the western lawns of the library through suckers.

Wasa says multiple projects being planned to solve the city’s sewage issues

With the deliberate diversion of sewage in the library’s premises, the library along with other adjacent government institutions such as the social welfare directorate, children’s educational institutions and others were also being affected. The area has been turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which has engulfed the whole area surrounding the Library Chowk.

Talking to Dawn, Bahawalpur Wasa Chief Muhammad Amjad expressed his determination to resolve the long-standing issue at the earliest. He said that Wasa should not be blamed for it as it was Bahawalpur municipal corporation which had started diverting sewage to the library lawns. He maintained that it was done to reduce the burden of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) and the Quaid-e-Azam Medical College (QAMC), whose own sewerage system was unable to cope with the increasing waste of the hospital, college and their hostels. He added that there were two to three schemes proposed for the permanent solution for the issue. He said that these schemes would also provide relief to the BVH and QAMC administration and restore the significance and glory of the pre-partition and former state’s premier central library.

These proposed schemes, he said, required millions of rupees of funds, for which efforts were being made to secure the same from the Punjab government.

He said that these schemes focused on diverting sewage from the library’s lawns to the main disposal station. However, for immediate relief, Wasa was making efforts to de-silt the underground sewage lines around the central library. He assured that Wasa was working to improve the sewerage system in Bahawalpur and protect local heritage and legacy.

The locals demanded that the Punjab chief minister should personally look into this important issue of the city by allocating necessary funds for the city’s required sewerage needs.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2026