Punjab Approves Underground Water Storage Tanks in Urban Areas

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has given the green light to launch a groundbreaking project aimed at addressing critical water management challenges across the province. The initiative involves constructing 358 underground storage tanks—both in urban areas for timely rainwater drainage and along roadsides to manage street flooding.

Thirty-four large underground tanks will be installed within cities, ensuring efficient collection and release of rainwater. Additionally, 324 roadside tanks will be built to divert water away from clogged streets. Recharge wells alongside these tanks will help replenish groundwater levels while the collected water will undergo treatment at water treatment plants for agricultural use.

To complement this plan, 328 wastewater treatment facilities will be established across Punjab. Over 6,100 kilometers of street paving and an equivalent length of sewerage lines have already begun, along with the installation of over 3,498 kilometers of new sewer pipes and nearly 33 million square feet of tuff tiles in streets and pathways.

Modern machinery including 526 machines and tractors are being deployed to enhance drainage efficiency. A factory producing durable sewer pipelines for a century has been established in Lahore. The government is also focused on initiating projects across various districts, such as Sargodha, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Okara, Jhang, Multan, and Sialkot, while others like Jhelum, Hafizabad, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, and Rawalpindi will soon follow suit.

Under the Punjab Rural Sanitation Improvement Programme, drainage systems are being developed in rural areas, with a total investment of Rs59 billion earmarked for 485 villages under the Model Village Project. Work has already begun on nearly 200 of these villages. Additionally, wastewater ponds are being cleaned and treated plants installed to supply irrigated water.

To ensure clean drinking water, authorities have been instructed to maintain the operation of filtration systems. The chief minister also emphasized the importance of paving roads in rural areas and concluding drainage projects ahead of the upcoming monsoon season, with Gujrat and Sialkot specifically highlighted for special attention.

Maryam Nawaz predicted that within the next five years, Punjab will transform into a modern, transformed, and beautiful province.