MULTAN: Public protests due to hardships caused by civil work on the Metro Bus Project have led to blame game among officials.

People are taking to the street to protest traffic snarls, power outages and sewerage issue all of which, they say, emanate from the project.

Taking notice of the sewerage complaints, Commissioner Asadullah Khan held Wasa responsible for the problems. The Wasa authorities deflect the blame on the federal government “for not undertaking various projects the last government had launched.”

At a meeting presided over by the commissioner on Friday, Wasa Managing Director Wasim Bajwa briefed him on the situation. The commissioner expressed his displeasure and held the Wasa officials responsible for people’s suffering.

“Wasa spent billions of rupees on sewerage network but did not link it with disposals and left the projects incomplete. These localities are facing hardship instead of benefit,” he said. He further said Wasa had initiated projects in the past but did not make efforts to get the required funds to complete them.

“The public believes that the Metro Bus Project is the cause of sewerage issues though it has nothing to do with the problems,” he said and directed the officials to solve the sewerage-related issues. He asked the Wasa authorities to provide him details of the projects so that he could request Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his upcoming visit to provide funds for the incomplete sewerage projects.

He also sought a plan for shifting sewerage disposal stations of Chungi No 9 and Kirri Jamandan from the city limits as both stations are creating pollution.

The commissioner directed the Wasa authorities to shift installations from Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh so that the historical status of the fort could be restored and furthere beautified. He identified that seepage of water from old iron water tank on Water Works Road was damaging the thoroughfare and said a proposal should be prepared to solve this issue.

Wasa MD Wasim Bajwa said the sewerage-related issues arose owing to incomplete projects the previous federal government had initiated. “The only way to solve these issues is completion of the projects,” he said.

He said 10 projects were initiated by the previous government (under prime minister package-I) at a cost of Rs2.81 billion; now Rs820 million were required to complete these projects.

“Similarly, Rs600 million are required to complete the six schemes that were launched under package-II,” he said. He said a sewerage line, costing Rs540 million, had been laid in New Shah Shams Colony but disposal station for this project was not constructed and its construction now required Rs420 million.

“Similarly, Rs14 million are needed for the completion of the sewerage project of Samijabad and Rs52 million for Garden Town project, while Rs290 million are required to link the sewerage system of Rehmat Colony and Lodhi Colony with sludge carrier,” he said.

He said an additional Rs14 billion were required to construct sludge carrier and water treatment plant to discharge sewage of nine disposal stations in the river Chenab.

Since the launch of civil work on the bus project, people have been protesting host of issues like sewerage, electricity, water supply, telephone, internet and cable network besides lack of alternate routs. Three people have lost their lives while working on the project due to poor safety measures.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2015

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