WASA promises early sewerage work on Rehman Galian, Brandreth Road

LAHORE – The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has assured the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) that work to address sewerage and drainage problems in Rehman Galian, Brandreth Road and other commercial areas will begin soon.

The assurance was given by the WASA managing director during a meeting chaired by LCCI Pres­ident Ali Hussam Asghar on Sun­day, following a request by LCCI Senior Vice President Sardar Us­man Ghani. LCCI Vice President Khadim Hussain Chaudhry also at­tended the meeting.

Discussions focused on blocked sewerage lines, waterlogging dur­ing the monsoon, financial loss­es suffered by traders, complaint resolution and improvements to drainage infrastructure.

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LCCI President Ali Hussam As­ghar said sewerage blockages and rainwater accumulation in com­mercial and industrial areas were disrupting business activities and causing substantial financial losses. Water entering shops, warehouses and basements damaged merchan­dise and commercial property, cre­ating serious difficulties for traders.

He stressed that commercial ar­eas should be given priority in drainage improvement projects. Regular cleaning of sewerage lines, maintenance of manholes and timely preventive measures before the monsoon season were essential to prevent waterlogging and protect businesses from re­curring losses.

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Asghar also called for better co­ordination among WASA, the La­hore Development Authority (LDA) and other relevant depart­ments to ensure the timely com­pletion of development projects. He invited the WASA managing director to visit the affected mar­kets with LCCI representatives to assess the problems and devise practical solutions. Sardar Us­man Ghani highlighted persistent sewerage and drainage problems in Rehman Galian and Brandreth Road, saying an effective drainage system was essential for uninter­rupted commercial activity.

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He said water accumulation during heavy rainfall threatened shops, warehouses and base­ments, exposing traders to sub­stantial financial losses. He urged WASA to prioritise sewerage im­provements in the affected mar­kets, enhance drainage capacity where necessary and ensure the regular cleaning of sewerage lines.

Ghani stressed the need for per­manent solutions rather than tem­porary measures. He called for es­sential drainage arrangements, including the cleaning of sewerage lines and proper maintenance of manholes, to be completed before the monsoon season.

He also emphasised consulta­tion with market representatives to identify problems accurately and address them through a co­ordinated plan. Timely action by the relevant authorities, he said, would help protect commercial property, minimise business dis­ruption and prevent recurring drainage problems.

The WASA managing director in­formed the meeting that the agen­cy had issued a development ten­der, to be financed from its own resources, for addressing water ac­cumulation and drainage problems along Circular Road and in adjoin­ing areas. The tender was sched­uled to be opened on October 15.

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He said WASA had also carried out development work at sever­al locations, including Lakshmi Chowk and Brandreth Road, us­ing its own resources during the previous year. The agency would continue to review drainage prob­lems in commercial areas and take appropriate measures to resolve them, he added.

The managing director said reg­ular maintenance, timely clean­ing of sewerage lines and effective coordination among relevant de­partments were essential to im­proving the city’s drainage system alongside development projects.

Highlighting WASA’s digital ser­vices, he said the agency had in­troduced an automated complaint management system that allowed consumers to register complaints online and track progress towards their resolution.

Online facilities were also availa­ble for correcting billing errors and requesting instalment plans, reduc­ing the need for consumers to vis­it WASA offices repeatedly. Digital records had also improved access to consumer accounts and proper­ty-related information, he added.

The managing director offered to designate a focal person to li­aise with the LCCI and facilitate the resolution of complaints from commercial markets. Requests for billing corrections and instalment plans would also be processed un­der the relevant procedures.

He further assured the Chamber that he would personally monitor progress and endeavour to provide an update within 10 days. Empha­sising water conservation, ground­water protection and wastewater treatment, the WASA chief urged industrial and commercial con­sumers to minimise water wastage and reuse treated wastewater.

He said the discharge of un­treated industrial wastewater into the sewerage system created environmental problems and in­creased treatment costs. He called for cooperation among industries, WASA and relevant departments to improve wastewater manage­ment.

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