Pakistan Print edition: 2026-02-26

Drainage, clean water initiatives: Significant budget allocated: minister

Published February 26, 2026 Updated February 26, 2026 04:57am

2 min

By Recorder Report

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LAHORE: Punjab Housing Minister Bilal Yasin has said that, for the first time in the province’s history, a significant budget has been allocated for drainage and clean water supply initiatives.

“Under the direction of the Punjab Chief Minister, multi-billion-rupee underground drainage projects have been launched as part of a long-term planning framework,” he stated while chairing a meeting to review the progress of ongoing development projects under the Punjab Development Plan. The managing directors of WASA from various districts participated in the meeting via video link, along with the Additional Secretary (Technical), the WASA Punjab Director General, the Deputy Secretary for Housing, and the WASA Additional Director General.

During the meeting, the minister instructed officials to expedite work to ensure effective drainage arrangements are in place before the upcoming monsoon season. He also emphasised that consultants from the public health engineering department should compile reports regarding the quality of work and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) in various districts.

Moreover, the Additional Secretary (Technical) and the WASA Punjab Director General provided the Minister with updates on development work in different districts. They reviewed the monitoring mechanisms and timelines for projects in the initial phase districts in detail. A comprehensive briefing was given on the construction and rehabilitation of existing sewer lines, installation of new sewer lines, construction of storage tanks, and road restoration efforts.

The meeting revealed that 114 dewatering sets, 44 sucker machines, 40 sewer jetting machines, 56 tractor trolleys, 59 winch machines, 43 sewer desilting units, 22 dumpers, 26 wheel excavators, and 25 water browsers will be procured to strengthen drainage operations. Work has already begun at priority sites identified for immediate attention, categorised into three defined segments.

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