Punjab Plans to Make Recharge Wells Mandatory for New Homes

The Punjab Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) is planning to make recharge wells mandatory for all newly constructed homes across the province to help restore groundwater levels and reduce water contamination.

WASA Director General Tayyab Fareed said the proposed rules will be presented for formal approval at the authority’s upcoming meeting.

He said the newly established WASA network, which includes 41 Water and Sanitation Agencies across Punjab, is working to improve access to clean drinking water and modern sanitation services.

To strengthen its operational capacity, WASA has completed the procurement of 272 modern vehicles, while the purchase of another 969 machines and pieces of equipment is in progress.

The authority is also carrying out development projects worth Rs. 205 billion in 15 major cities, including Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Jhelum, Jhang, Hafizabad, Okara, Nankana Sahib, Sahiwal, and Dera Ghazi Khan.

These projects are aimed at upgrading water supply networks, improving sewerage systems, and reducing the risk of urban flooding.

Under the first phase of the Punjab Development Programme, authorities plan to lay 2,265 kilometers of sewerage lines, construct 89 disposal stations, install nine underground water storage tanks, and build 189 kilometers of storm-water drains during the next fiscal year.

The plan also includes paving more than 30 million square feet with tuff tiles and restoring 752 kilometers of roads.

Speaking about the proposed Eastern Wastewater Treatment Plant in Faisalabad, Fareed said discussions had been held with representatives of a Danish donor agency regarding investment in Pakistan’s water and sanitation sector.

He added that the Environment Protection Department had issued the required no-objection certificate, while a Project Management Unit had been established. Around 90 acres of state land have also been transferred to the Housing Department for the project.

Regarding monsoon preparations, the WASA chief said around 15 monsoon camps had been established in Faisalabad. He claimed that all identified flooding hotspots had been addressed through engineering measures.