WASA Unveils New Sewerage Project Worth Over Rs 1 Billion for 28 Union Councils

Rawalpindi: In view of the limited coverage of the existing sewerage system, which serves only about 30 percent of the city, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi has prepared a major development project to lay modern sewerage lines in 28 additional union councils at a cost exceeding Rs 1 billion.

The city’s current sewerage infrastructure was laid nearly 50 years ago. The outdated and inadequate 150-millimetre diameter lines are no longer capable of handling the pressure of a rapidly growing population. At present, the sewerage system is confined to Satellite Town, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Mugha Singh Estate, Asghar Mall Scheme, Eidgah Scheme, Gulshan Dadan Khan, Dhok Babu Irfan and a few other old localities.

In the rest of the city, household wastewater is discharged into open roadside drains due to the absence of proper sewerage lines. This contaminated water flows into 11 major drains, which ultimately merge into Nallah Lai. The 11-kilometre-long Nallah Lai eventually discharges this wastewater into the Soan River.

Speaking to Dawn, a senior WASA official said that a major development project titled “Improvement of Sewerage and Storm Water Drains in the West Zone” is being launched under the Punjab Development Programme.

Under the project, the following infrastructure will be constructed:

• 71,350 feet of trunk sewerage lines
• 281,200 feet of lateral sewerage lines
• 7,200 feet of lined storm water drainage system

According to the official, the project aims to ensure the safe and efficient disposal, treatment and management of wastewater. It will also help reduce urban flooding during the monsoon season in densely populated areas.

He added that the project would strengthen the city’s resilience against climate change impacts and protect urban areas from unusually heavy rainfall. Due to WASA’s limited financial resources, the Punjab government will provide the required funding.

In the first phase, Union Councils 1 to 20 and 33 to 41 will benefit from the project. The official said the initiative would support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide improved sanitation facilities to residents.

The project is scheduled to be completed over two years, with:

• 40 percent of the work to be completed in 2025
• Another 40 percent during 2026–27
• The remaining 20 percent to be completed in 2028

WASA spokesperson Umar Farooq said that approximately 750,000 residents would benefit from the project. He added that while the Punjab government would finance the project, WASA Rawalpindi would bear the operation and maintenance costs from its own resources.

According to the spokesperson, upon completion, the project will ensure efficient, safe and satisfactory sewerage services for the residents of Rawalpindi.