RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has launched a project worth Rs250 million to replace the old and rusty water pipelines in the garrison city.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood told Dawn that the funds had been released to launch the project called ‘Gastro Project’.

He said Wasa carried out a survey of the water supply system last year and found that many of the pipelines could not provide safe drinking water to the citizens.

“In many areas, the water supply lines were passing through drains and had become rusty. Drinking water and sewage also mixed in some areas creating problems for the civic agency to maintain the quality of water.”

Project worth Rs250m will be completed in three years

He said Wasa had sent a proposal to the provincial government to replace the old and rusty supply lines. The government approved the proposal and released the funds.

He said to complete the project the city had been divided into four sectors: Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Satellite Town, Liaquat Bagh and Sadiqabad. “The work to replace the supply lines in these areas started simultaneously and four contractors have been issued the work orders,” the official said.

He added that the water supply lines in Satellite Town and Khayaban-i-Sir Syed were laid in the ‘60s by the then Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation.

He said the project would take three years to complete. The water supply lines in Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Ratta and Bani Chowk have already been replaced. “The size of the water supply lines has also been increased so that the requirements of the areas could be met on a daily basis,” he said.

Mr Shaukat said Wasa had also started work on laying new water supply lines in Potohar Town. The 12 union councils of the town were added to the net work last year.

He said the Potohar Town had not enough underground water and the civic agency installed 12 tubewells along Islamabad Expressway to supply water to the 12 union councils.

He said tubewells were also installed along Soan Rivers to supply water to those areas where underground water was not available. He said the areas were located in the constituency (NA-52) of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2016