Gulberg drainage, sewerage problem aggravates

LAHORE - As the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is yet to lay new drainage and sewerage lines in Gulberg, the monsoon season every year brings miseries to the residents who face troubles due to accumulated rain water which takes hours to recede in the absence of any proper drainage system in this so-called posh locality.
This long-standing problem has also got aggravated due to unplanned commercialisation, which is visible in the form of numerous shopping plazas, restaurants and hotels.
The drainage problem at MM Alam Road and its adjacent residential and commercial areas has gone out of hand after years of neglect. Inundated streets in adjoining localities of Main Boulevard also present a picture of small canals running across the houses.
As both the sewerage and drainage systems are not working properly, the sewerage lines get choked quite often and stinky water appears on streets. The MM Alam Road and its adjacent sectors come under deep water when it rains, especially during monsoon, which causes great inconvenience for vehicular traffic and pedestrians alike.
Wasa sources said that the Gulberg drainage scheme costing Rs 208 million had been approved and was to be executed in 2007, but it got delayed due to non-availability of funds and government’s lack of interest to get it implemented. They informed that Wasa had submitted amended PC-1 of the Gulberg drainage scheme to Planning and Development Department for approval with revised rates as the cost has now gone up to Rs 279 million. Funds had also been earmarked in the current Wasa annual budget, sources added.
As per Wasa officials, the agency would lay down the network of many small drains at MM Alam Road to be connected with big drains (3 to 4 diameter in the beginning and 7 to 8 diameter at the end) at Shams-u-Din Road to dispose of storm water with rapid pace. The big drain passing through Virk Chowk, Hussain Chowk, Kalma Chowk, Ghalib Market, Firdous Market, Makka Colony. Mandina Colony, Nawaz Sharif Colony and Ferozepur Road would end up in Sattukatla drain.