RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has instructed the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) to prepare a detailed plan to upgrade Rawalpindi’s outdated sewerage system. WASA must submit the plan within two weeks.
This was shared by Punjab Housing, Urban Development, and Public Health Engineering Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal during a meeting. WASA Punjab Director General Tayyab Farid and WASA Rawalpindi Managing Director Saleem Ashraf were also present.
Currently, only 35 to 40 per cent of Rawalpindi is covered by a sewerage system, while the rest of the city lacks proper drainage. This leads to urban flooding during the monsoon season when Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and nearby areas receive heavy rain.
Mega Project Planned for Sewerage, Water Supply
To solve these problems, the Punjab government is planning a major sewerage and water supply project in Rawalpindi, similar to the one launched earlier in Lahore.
According to Secretary Mengal, the project is part of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s development plan for Punjab. He said work on a master plan is already underway and aims to improve the sewerage and water supply system within a year.
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Mengal also announced that the under-construction Chirah Dam will provide 28 million gallons of clean water daily to Rawalpindi once completed. WASA will also set up a new water distribution system and surface water treatment plants in the city.
The goal is to expand sewerage coverage to 100 per cent of the city by June 2026. Underground tanks will also be built to store rainwater, which will be reused for irrigation and plants.
Sewerage treatment plants are also planned at major drains to ensure that only clean water flows into Leh Nullah. Treated wastewater will be used for agriculture.
Mengal directed WASA Rawalpindi to identify areas without proper sewerage and submit area-wise proposals. He stressed the need for coordination with other departments to ensure proper planning and smooth execution.
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Old Sewerage Lines Need Replacement
The existing sewerage system in Rawalpindi is over 50 years old. Most of the pipelines are just 150mm in diameter—meant for internal home use—and are now rusty and unable to handle the growing population’s waste.
Areas currently covered by the system include Satellite Town, Khyaban-e-Sir Syed, Mugha Singh Estate, Asghar Mall Scheme, Eidgah Scheme, Gulshan Dadan Khan, Dhoke Babu Irfan, and some parts of the downtown area.
The remaining 65 per cent of Rawalpindi lacks any proper sewerage system. In these areas, untreated sewage is dumped into roadside drains and 11 large nullahs, which eventually flow into the 11-kilometre-long Leh Nullah and then into the Soan River—without treatment.
The Punjab government has committed to addressing this issue through a phased and fully funded development plan aimed at modernising Rawalpindi’s entire sewerage and water supply system.
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