In a major move to improve access to clean drinking water and modernize sewage systems, the Punjab government has established 10 new Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASA) in key districts across the province.
With the addition of these new agencies, the total number of WASAs operating in Punjab has now reached 15. The newly established WASAs will serve Jhelum, Sialkot, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Jhang, Okara, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Rahim Yar Khan.
A notification confirming the formation of these agencies was issued by the Secretary of Housing, Urban Development, and Public Health Engineering and has received the approval of the Governor of Punjab.
Each WASA will be managed by a governing body that includes representatives from the Housing, Planning, and Finance departments, two members of the Provincial Assembly nominated by the Chief Minister, the local deputy commissioner, a WASA officer, three technical experts, and one female member.
The managing director of each WASA will serve as secretary to the governing body.
Previously, WASA services were limited to five major divisional headquarters — Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan.