DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Development schemes worth Rs4.75 billion aimed at overhauling Dera Ismail Khan’s outdated drainage and sewerage network have entered their final stages, officials said on Friday.
Talking to Dawn,the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) executive engineer, Zeeshan Khan Gandapur, said that the progress seen in recent months was made possible due to the direct interest of former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, who had approved long pending schemes for all neglected urban pockets and ensured fast tracked fund releases.
Development schemes worth Rs2.50 billion were completed during the previous provincial government, while projects amounting to Rs2.25 billion have been approved in the current tenure. One of the city’s most critical interventions, the Rs500 million drainage line for the Four Bazaars and adjoining commercial zones, is also under rapid construction.
According to the PHED, nearly 40 percent of the city already has a functional drainage network, while work on the remaining 60 percent will be completed within five months.
Mr Gandapur explained that DI Khan’s system has two separate components, one for sewage disposal and the other for rainwater drainage. “For years, the imbalance between these two systems led to widespread urban flooding, especially during monsoon spells,” he said.
He noted that earlier governments managed to cover around 30 percent of the urban area, but the remaining localities were finally approved during the current phase. “By the time the ongoing work finishes, residents will no longer face dug up roads, stagnant water or rain-induced blockages,” he said.
He said the longstanding waterlogging issue in the historic Four Bazaars area stemmed from the absence of a dedicated drainage line. “A Rs500 million drainage corridor is now under construction. It will extend up to Sabzi Mandi Mor and permanently eliminate flooding around the central commercial belt,” he told Dawn. Internal sewer lines, damaged street drains and remaining stretches of Circular Road are also being rehabilitated.
Several flood prone locations including Islamia Chowk, Islamia Colony, Eidgah, Muslim Bazaar, Kalan Bazaar, Pawanda Bazaar and Commissionery Bazaar are undergoing improvements. The drainage system at Topan Wala Bazaar has already been completed and is showing promising results. A new drain is under construction from Islamia Chowk to Imamia Gate, expected to permanently resolve water accumulation in the Nizam Gate corridor and adjoining stretches.
Mr Gandapur said that a major drainage route is being developed from Ashiana Shopping Center extending towards Tank Adda, Syndicate Chowk, Old Sabzi Mandi Mor and FRP Chowk up to Mufti Mehmood Eye Hospital. This network will carry rainwater away from busy markets and surrounding neighbourhoods.
He added that under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project — Phase II (KPCIP-II) programme, a modern wastewater treatment plant would also be constructed near Malana. At present, wastewater is discharged untreated into the Indus River. “The new plant will treat sewage before disposal, improve water quality and help restore the river’s ecological balance,” he said. The executive engineer said PHED teams are working around the clock to meet deadlines.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2025