Due to inordinate delay in replacement of 706 kilometers out-lived and broken water pipelines, which travel along and into drainpipes, mixing of wastewater into drinking water has reached an alarming level in Samanabad, Pakistan Today has learnt. Residents of Samanabad are unfortunate recipients of wastewater, as the main sewerage pipe in the area has leaked from various points and polluted water is seeping into drinking waterlines that have been ruptured already. Since the situation remained unchecked, waterborne diseases, including viral hepatitis (A&E), gastroenteritis, typhoid and paratyphoid fever, cholera, dysentery have spread rapidly.
Taking notice of the issue, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director Javed Iqbal assigned Deputy Managing Director (Operation) Iqtidar Shah to investigate the issue and get the grievances redressed at the earliest. According to a copy of a complaint available with Pakistan Today, the Tehreek-e-Amal Welfare Society Samanabad on May 17 filed an application at the CM Secretariat to draw high-ups’ attention towards the issue.
The complaint said that the old sewerage line from Moazzam Road and Ghazali Road, Samanabad Sharif Hospital to Niazi Hospital was working but on orders of a local Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of provincial assembly (MPA), a new sewerage line was laid down and a project costing around Rs 4 million was completed by the MPA’s ‘favourite contractor’. Due to ill-planning and substandard work, a new sewerage line developed technical faults. It was not designed to carry the flow of wastewater towards the disposal station, as its one side is up and the other side down. The wastewater and other wastage remain in gutters and continue to spill into safe drinking water pipes. The gutters also keep overflowing, the complaint said.
It said that the sewerage pipe was laid down some inches below the surface due to which, vehicular terrific easily broke it from various points, the complaint pointed out. Complainant Khalik Ahmed said that the main complicit in the case was WASA Samanabad official Aslam Khan Niazi, who in connivance with the contractor, laid down substandard sewerage pipe by taking illegal gratification. He said that CM Complaint Cell Head Aftab Ahmed Sheikh marked an inquiry to WASA and the agency registered the complaint vide number MD/WASA/3318. Khalik said that a Tehreek-e-Amal Welfare Society Samanabad delegation also called on the WASA MD to apprise him about the situation.
WASA MD Javed Iqbal told Pakistan Today that he had taken prompt notice of the issue and the responsible would be taken to task. He said that WASA was determined to ensure safe drinking water to consumers and a project to ensure clean water was underway. Iqbal said that WASA would initiate a new survey of new water supply lines and water connection added in the waste supply system during the last five years.
WASA initiated the project of replacement of rusty water supply lines and had changed around 48,000 house lines so far. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS) Sheikh Masood said that nearly 1.2 million people suffered waterborne diseases during a year in Lahore. “Amongst these, 0.25 million are children under the age of five, who succumbed to diarrhoea, mainly caused by the use of untreated water,” he added.
