Construction work has resumed on the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Plant in Faisalabad after a brief suspension triggered by security concerns raised by a Danish donor agency and consulting partners.
The project, Punjab’s second-largest wastewater treatment facility, is being closely monitored by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Faisalabad, which has directed officials to ensure timely progress on the mega development scheme.
Foreign engineers have also returned to the site and reaffirmed their commitment to completing the project within the stipulated timeframe.
The project had been stalled for a short period after the Danish contractor expressed concerns over security arrangements for foreign staff deployed at the site. Sources said police had proposed strict security protocols, including accommodation for foreign engineers inside a secured compound at the project location.
However, the Danish firm reportedly rejected the arrangement and temporarily withdrew its staff, creating an awkward situation for both federal and provincial authorities.
The issue was later resolved following consultations among security agencies, the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, the Danish International Development Agency and the project’s engineering consultants, after which construction activities were allowed to resume.
Project Director Hafiz Owais Jamal said the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Plant is a state-of-the-art environmental project that will improve urban sanitation and help reduce pollution in Faisalabad.
He said the plant will have the capacity to treat 33 million gallons per day of municipal and industrial wastewater. The facility will receive wastewater from Channel 4 on the eastern side of the city and discharge the treated water into the Gugera Branch Canal for agricultural use.
Officials said untreated wastewater from Faisalabad had previously been discharged directly into the Madhuana Drain, which eventually flows into the River Ravi. They added that this practice contributed to river pollution, environmental degradation and damage to aquatic ecosystems.
