LAHORE: The Rs50 billion Babu Sabu Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) project has finally moved to its last stages of planning and execution after receiving approval from the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP).
The project, supported by a French funding agency, will now be sent to the federal government for final approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).
This will be Lahore’s first large-scale wastewater treatment facility under the Water and Sanitation Agency’s (Wasa) master plan. Wasa had acquired 836 acres of land for the plant in 1992–93, but the project remained on hold for decades. The Punjab government recently revived the plan, and PDWP approved it in its meeting on Aug 13. Officials expect the project to now move quickly towards implementation.
In Phase-I, sewage from central Lahore — including Cantt Drain, Multan Road, and Gulshan-i-Ravi Pumping Stations — will be treated before being discharged into the Ravi River. The initiative is aimed at reducing pollution and improving the city’s environment.
Punjab Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb is personally supervising the project as part of her focus on environment-friendly measures for a cleaner Punjab.
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Punjab Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal said the treated water would also be used for agriculture. “This will help save freshwater resources and promote sustainable irrigation practices,” he explained. He added that all departments concerned would work together for effective implementation.
The project is being developed with the support of the French development agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), under the Design, Build, and Operate (DBO) model. Phase-I will treat 88 million gallons per day (MGD), while the total capacity will eventually reach 198 MGD.
According to the concept plan, the WWTP will cost Rs50.2bn and be completed in three stages: a 12-month pre-construction phase, a 42-month construction period, and a 36-month operations and maintenance phase.
The plant’s facilities will include screening, primary and secondary treatment, sludge treatment and disposal, storage, biogas utilization, cogeneration, odor treatment, and a treated effluent channel.
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