Paucity of funds slowing down Gujrat drainage schemes

Gujrat city's ongoing drainage and sewerage schemes are experiencing delays due to insufficient funding, raising concerns over the safety of residents, Dawn has learned. The Gujrat Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the irrigation department had requested Rs3.71 billion for the fiscal year, but only Rs1.9 billion has been granted by the Punjab government, according to official sources.

The deadline for completing the projects is set for Dec 2026, yet the limited allocation of funds may prevent timely completion. It is estimated that at least Rs3.46 billion is needed to launch new drainage schemes to protect Gujrat's urban and suburban populations. However, none of these funds have been allocated yet. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz unveiled an uplift package in September 2025 to address Gujrat's chronic sewerage and drainage issues, leading to the approval of Rs17 billion worth of schemes under the Punjab Development Programme (PDP) in October 2025.

These projects are divided into two zones, A and B, and were supposed to be executed by Wasa and the irrigation department. However, only 20 percent progress has been made in the past 10 months, with financial constraints stalling the projects further. To complete the ongoing and new critical schemes, a total of Rs7.18 billion is required.

Otherwise, these projects could not be finished within the next five years. Wasa has also planned new schemes to tackle flooding in areas such as District Courts, Ghareebpura, New Model Town, Lalazaar, Mehmda, Jattuwakal and neighboring localities. These plans were discussed at a meeting with Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Nurulain Qureshi, who recommended releasing the necessary funds.