LAHORE: The Ravi Urban Development Authority (Ruda) has received proposals from various international firms for establishing six wastewater treatment plants that will ensure disposal of sewer into the river after treatment.

Since the authority has accelerated pace of works on various river training works, including construction of a huge embankment initially up to three kilometers (on both sides of the river) in a bid to protect the population from floods, it has also got the wastewater, being disposed into the river bed at six different points through several small and major drains, tested in a bid to know its specification and make it compatible for treatment, Dawn has learnt.

“We are doing several works these days in the project area. These works are related to river training, environment, development of residential areas in phase-1,” the Ruda Chief Executive Officer Imran Ameen told Dawn on Friday.

Talking about the water treatment plants, Mr Ameen said it was a good news for the Lahorites that various local and international firms have expressed interest by submitting viable proposals to establish six wastewater treatment plants at the points where the entire Lahore’s wastewater, including the domestic, commercial and industrial and storm water is being disposed of through six drains.

“After scrutiny of proposals for wastewater plants, we will go for tendering/bidding process,” he added.

The Ruda chief said keeping in view the lab test results of the drains’ wastewater, it has been decided to cover all major drains in the city since their existing flow is injurious to public health.

“We have also ensured cleaning of these drains by getting them desilting in collaboration with the departments concerned,” he said, adding that these open drains are also spreading dengue virus in Lahore.

Mr Ameen revealed that the water to be disposed in the Ravi after treatment would be best for fishing, irrigation and other uses. According to him, it will preserve the 2.7 billion litre of water that will further help recharge the aquifer by increasing the water table that is currently depleting fast. The Ruda also plans to give this aquatic quality water to the industry so that it could stop extraction of water in the area through heavy turbines.

“We are also going to have an agreement with the UN-Habitat in a bid to launch various schemes to improve environment in the entire project area.

A 200-feet wide 46 km long marine drive road has also been planned on both sides of the river. Construction of roads with development of some parks with sitting area along the river banks will develop a beautiful riverfront in the project area.

The Ruda CEO said the authority has decided to relocate the existing solid waste landfill site at Lakhudair to another area since it is releasing dangerous methane gas.“We have convinced the Lahore Waste Management Company to build another site. After shifting the landfill site, we plan to develop a park over this land,” he maintained, adding that the designs of three barrages to be constructed at three sites in the project area have also been finalised.

It merits mentioning that the Rs5 trillion Ravi project, conceived by the PML-N government in 2013, was launched by the former PM Imran Khan in August 2020 by laying the foundation stone at the project site.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2022