GUJRAT: As a part of a plan to help solve the chronic drainage and related urban flooding issues plaguing Gujrat city for decades, the administration has decided to construct at least two underground rainwater collection tanks near Kutchehry Chowk, besides recommending rectification of Jalalpur Jattan Road sewerage line.

Moreover, some long-term solutions are also being worked out by the engineers of Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Public Health and Engineering Department and Gujrat Metropolitan Corporation (GMC), Gujranwala Commissioner Naveed Haider Sheerazi told Dawn here on Monday.

Mr Sheerazi who also holds the additional charge of GMC administrator, inspected different city areas, along with Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Safdar Virk, Gujranwala Wasa managing director and other officials concerned.

The commissioner said one of the water collection tanks would be built outside the Zahoor Elahi Cricket Stadium, while the other on a piece of land owned by Gujrat district council, to collect rainwater and then pump it out towards Boley storm water channel on Jalalpur Jattan Road using heavy machines.

He said the existing sewerage line of the area was also required to be rectified as it had been blocked at several points. He said the engineers of departments concerned had been tasked to devise a long-term plan to resolve the chronic urban flooding issue of the city. He said the Punjab government has already issued directions to resolve the sewerage and solid waste management issues of urban centres in the province.

Official sources say that water pumping machines of some of the city’s disposal stations were out of order and could not flush out rainwater, causing urban flooding in the city in case of even moderate rain.

They say that had the GT Road, Shah Hussain and Chah Tarehng drains been properly de-silted prior to the rainy season, the city would not have faced such a disastrous situation during the last few days.

Some former elected representatives also criticised the Punjab government’s decision of assigning additional charge of GMC chief officer to the district council CO Malik Ibrar, who, they said failed to tackle the urban flooding. Mr Ibrar has been holding the additional charge for the last many months, they added.

Gujrat DC, however, claimed that all disposal stations motors were fully functional and had back-up generators, whereas the GMC sanitary staff was working around the clock to drain out the rainwater.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2024