LAHORE: Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Bilal Yasin has ordered immediate arrest of the contractor responsible for the tragic Baghbanpura manhole incident, declaring a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ toward administrative negligence and official incompetence.
Presiding over a meeting of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore on Saturday, the Minister lashed out at officials over safety lapses and directed the immediate implementation of a strict departmental punishment mechanism alongside mandatory daily field surveys.
The meeting was attended by WASA Vice Chairman Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmad, WASA Punjab Director General Tayyab Fareed, WASA MD Lahore Ghufran Ahmad, and all Town Directors.
On the occasion, Yasin stated that no leniency would be shown towards negligence, incompetence, or carelessness. He directed the WASA Punjab DG to immediately develop a departmental mechanism for disciplinary actions and instructed that a daily survey report be submitted. He emphasised that safety measures must be ensured during the construction, repair, or replacement of manholes.
He further directed that proper barriers, warning boards, and reflectors must be installed at construction and repair sites. He clarified that whenever a manhole cover is temporarily removed during development works, alternative safety arrangements must be made mandatory. “The protection of public life and property is our foremost priority. No compensation can make up for the loss of a human life,” he added. He also instructed that special precautionary measures be adopted to ensure the safety of pedestrians, motorcyclists, and children during development projects.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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