All major drains designed to flush out rainwater have been encroached upon by katchi abadies, markets, kiosks, makeshift eateries and even the government buildings. These illegal occupations on the drains have reduced the disposal capacity of these drains to half, which means that the plan to end the era of inundation during monsoons will remain a far-fetched dream and residents of Lahore will continue to suffer due to overflowing manholes on roads and streets.
According to a WASA senior official, there were more than 2,000 encroachments on the eight main drains: Sattukatla Drain, Iqbal Town Drain, Central Drain, Cantt Drain, Shalimar Escape Channel (Sukh Nehr Drain), Gulberg Drain, Shadman Drain and Lower Chhota Ravi Drain.
As per data, WASA has nine primary drains, 75 secondary drains, and 67 roadside drains. The Cantt Drain is heavily encroached upon from Shera Kot to Katchi Abady Shadman, Bun Road and Wasa Colony. The Shalimar Escape Channel is under illegal occupation of markets, katchi abadi and eateries from Lalpul to Wapda Colony. The entire Sheesha Market is located on the Central Drain. The Gulberg Drain is occupied by katchi abadies and even by Ghalib Market, a police station and a post office. Lower Chohta Ravi Drain is encroached upon by katchi abadies, Javed Colony, parks and nurseries in Wapda Colony. Sattukala Drain is heavily encroached upon from fruit and vegetable market to Peco Road.
A WASA senior official said that the mushroom growth of illegal katchi abadis had reduced the width of the drains. On Shalimar Link Road, the width of the Shalimar drain was reduced from 150 to 30 feet. Similarly shops on Beadon Road drain have reduced its width from 100 to 10 feet. Construction of houses on drain walls in Bagh Munshi Ladha reduced its width from 50 to 20 feet.
These drains pass through fruit and vegetable market on Ferozepur Road, Babu Sabu, Bund Road, Islamia Park, Gulshan Ravi, Poonch Road, Touheed Park, Canal Park, Shama Cinema, Rasool Park, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Abdul Rehman Road, Yohana Abad, Fortress Stadium, Mian Mir Colony, Upper Mall, Zafar Ali Road, Mustafabad, Mian Mir Graveyard, Governor’s House, Jinnah Gardens, Lawrence Road, Birdwood Road, Jail Road, LOS Workshop, Samnabad, The Mall, Lahore Zoo, Queens Road, Diyal Singh Mansion, Mozang, Lytton Road, Chauburji (near Green Building), Shalimar Road, Shalimar Gardens, Medina Colony, Misri Shah, Shadbagh, Bagh Munshi Ladha, Data Nagar and Siddiqpura.
Last year, the Lahore commissioner ordered a grand anti-encroachment operation ahead of the monsoon season with a view to cleaning all the stagnant drains and removing encroachments. He also directed the DCO to monitor the operation to make it effective and result-oriented.
WASA DG Javed Iqbal said that WASA had launched the operation against encroachments on drains. He said that some portion of encroachments at Sattu Katla Drain had been cleared. He said that during the operation, WASA had to face public anger and protest. He said that a full-fledged operation required political will, women’s police force, TMOs and coordination of departments concerned.
WASA Director Drainage Capt (r) Hafeez said that WASA had sped up operation to demolish encroachment on drains. “The operation at Sattukatla Drain aims to restore the drain to its original size. The drive regarding encroachment-free drain will extend to all drains to get rid of the problem once and for all,” he added.
Another official said that WASA was ‘helpless’ with the encroachments on drains due to stay orders. He said that WASA’s case in the court was weak as the agency did not have ownership rights of drains. He said that WASA wrote a number of letters to Board of Revenue to transfer the lands of drains from the Pakistan Works Department (PWD) to WASA. However, no progress was in sight, he added.
The Drainage system in Lahore started in 1936. Initially, main sewer lines were laid from McLeod Road to Outfall Road and in Mozang, Krishan Nagar, Sant Nagar Road, Ravi Road, Gunj Bazar Mughalpura, Shamnagar, Anarkali and some parts of the Walled City. At the time of partition of the sub-continent, the major drains in Lahore were Cant Drain (Mian Mir Drain), Sukh Nehar Drain and Chota Ravi Drain.
The drainage and water supply system was handed over to the Lahore Improvement Trust (LIT), established in 1967. The LIT constructed drains and laid sewers in Gulberg, Samnabad, Shadbagh and some other areas of the city. They maintained that with the creation of WASA under LDA Act 1975, the system was handed over to WASA in 1996.
