GUJRAT: The revamp of city’s sewerage and drainage system under a World Bank-funded scheme for Punjab is on the priority list.

The Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC), functioning under the Local Government Department, has recently conducted a technical survey of the existing sewerage skeleton for the preparation of feasibility and cost estimation.

An official source in the local government said the data of 20 cities of Punjab has been collected for the WB-funded sewerage and drainage schemes.

He said the bank may provide a sum of $400 million to fix the issues of sewerage and clean drinking water to public out of which a huge landfill site would be developed in Jhang city.

Moreover, at least five cities of Punjab, including Gujrat, Chiniot, Lodhran and Main Channu, are among the top of that list in the first phase of the funding, a senior official said and added that due to facing a chronic issue of urban flooding in Gujrat city for decades, the Punjab government as well as the WB agreed to put Gujrat city on the top of that list.

It is learnt that PMDFC has also conducted a survey in Lalamusa city of Gujrat district to fix its sewerage system but it will be included in the second phase of the scheme.

PML-N MNA Naseer Abbas Sidhu had recommended to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to include Lalamusa into the list.

A sum of Rs10 million to Rs15 billion may be sought for the revamp of the sewerage and drainage system of Gujrat city in which laying of water supply pipeline is also included in addition to the sewerage and drainage system.

Adding, they said the Punjab CM had earlier tasked the local government department and Gujrat district administration to suggest a comprehensive revamping scheme for Gujrat to resolve the issue once for all and now the scheme was being designed as per her direction.

Apart from the revamping of existing sewerage skeleton, a water treatment plant, an underground water tank with a capacity to store at least 2.5 million gallons of water in a park or ground and drainage solution are also being suggested.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2025