uring late 18^th Century, British Lieutenant Governor Sir James Lyell traveled from Lahore to Jhang and discovered the fertile expanse of Sandalbar, nestled between the Chenab and Ravi Rivers. Struck by the abundant groundwater, Lyell decided to establish a new city in this area, giving birth to what was initially known as Lyallpur. The groundwater that then held the promise of prosperity is no longer fit for human consumption.

The primary culprit behind the pollution is the vast industrial waste discharged by the city’s large-scale industries. This waste infiltrates the soil through the 1,711 kilometre sewerage network managed by WASA-Faisalabad, contaminating the groundwater. WASA’s sewerage system connects 34 disposal stations, which channel sewage through four major drains spanning 62 kilometres.

The sewer drains, locally known as ganday naalay direct the polluted water eastward to the Ravi River via the Madhuana Drain and westward to the Chenab River through the Paharang Drain, thereby polluting both rivers and their ecosystems.

Meanwhile, the city’s population boom over the past century has led to an increased reliance on groundwater. WASA-Faisalabad has also allowed 443 industrial units to extract groundwater, exacerbating the strain on this precious resource. Despite extensive use, there has been no significant effort to recharge the groundwater, resulting in a continuous decline in both its quality and availability.

In recent years, the city has experienced increased rainfall due to climate change, presenting a crucial opportunity to recharge its groundwater and improve its quality. Unfortunately, this opportunity has been persistently overlooked by relevant government authorities, leading to a worsening of Faisalabad’s water crisis. The situation calls for immediate strategic interventions to prevent further degradation of the city’s water resources and to ensure a sustainable future for its residents.

Faisalabad gets an annual average rainfall of 350 to 375 mm. Around half of that occurs during the monsoon season. However, this year’s monsoon has brought over 550 mm of rainfall already and there is more than a month remaining in the season.

According to WASA’s data, the heaviest downpour occurred on August 4, with more than 142 mm of rain. Other significant rainfall events include 115 mm on August 16, 64 mm on July 29, 85 mm on July 12, 98 mm on July 6, and 46 mm on July 5.

The torrential rain on August 4 led to an emergency in the city, prompting immediate action. Commissioner Salwat Saeed, Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Nair Sheikh and WASA Managing Director Aamir Aziz were on ground late into the night, overseeing efforts to expedite the drainage of rainwater.

The WASA deployed more than 700 sewer workers. Hundreds of waste workers of Faisalabad Waste Management Company also joined the efforts to clear the waterlogged streets and neighbourhoods. The combined force worked tirelessly to restore normalcy to the city. The scale of the flooding underscored the urgent need for better infrastructure and disaster preparedness.

The torrential rains were a stark reminder of the growing impact of climate change on urban life, with the increasing frequency and intensity of downpours significantly disrupting daily life in Faisalabad.

This was not the first time the city faced such challenges. In July 2021, a single day’s rainfall of 200 mm had left many areas under water for three to four days.

WASA MD Amir Aziz has warned that this year’s monsoon is predicted to cause 35 per cent more rainfall than usual. The annual total is expected to double.

WASA’s drains can carry only about 33 to 35 mm of rainwater, meaning that heavier rains lead to significant delays in drainage. To address this, the WASA deployed its entire fleet, including dewatering sets, sucker machines, jitter machines and other vehicles. Additionally, 180 temporary sewer workers were recruited and emergency relief camps were established at 19 locations across the city. Generators were used to power several disposal stations to ensure uninterrupted drainage during heavy rains.

The situation underscores the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades and climate resilience planning in Faisalabad to better cope with the increasingly erratic weather patterns driven by climate change.

Faisalabad lacks a dedicated rainwater drainage system, resulting in the wasteful diversion of rainwater into sewer lines, squandering a significant resource.

Historically, the city’s drainage infrastructure has been effective. In areas like the Clock Tower bazaars, rainwater was channelled through functional drains. However, due to administrative neglect, some of these drains have been choked by garbage and mud. Some have been encroached upon by shopkeepers and others, obstructing the flow of water.

Faisalabad lacks a dedicated rainwater drainage system, resulting in the wasteful diversion of precious rainwater into sewer lines, squandering a significant resource.

The Faisalabad Master Plan of 1993 included a proposal to modify the Channel Four drainage system to separate rainwater from sewage. 31 years later, the project remains incomplete, making the city vulnerable to flooding.

Looking ahead, the WASA’s master plan for the next two decades envisions significant improvements, including the installation of a new wastewater treatment plant in the eastern part of the city. This facility, designed to treat 44 million gallons of water per day at a cost of Rs 19 billion, aims to protect the Chenab and Ravi Rivers from pollution. Additionally, there are plans to expand the capacity of the existing sewage water treatment plant at Chakera village from 20 million gallons per day to 180 million gallons per day. However, the crucial upgrades have been delayed.

The delays and incomplete projects underscore an urgent need for a more robust and proactive approach to urban water management in Faisalabad, particularly in the face of increasing rainfall and the growing impact of climate change.

Instead of exploring innovative solutions to address rainwater drainage and utilisation, the WASA has adhered to traditional approaches. It has asked for Rs 11 billion from the provincial government to extend the city’s sewerage system.

According to Amir Aziz, the funds are needed to upgrade the disposal stations, replacing old and deteriorating sewage lines and laying a new trunk sewer.

Some water management experts argue that this approach is myopic, as it turns valuable rainwater into ‘black water’ by mixing it with sewage. They advocate utilising rainwater to recharge groundwater, insisting that this is a more sustainable and cost-effective solution.

A few years ago, the WASA had planned to construct ten recharge wells in the D Ground area to replenish groundwater levels. However, the initiative was abandoned after the transfer of the-then managing director.

In December 2023, the WASA launched the Storm Water Drainage and Temporary Storage System Project, which included plans to build a wet well at Tata Bazaar, a temporary storage tank on Dijkot Road and upgrade of the disposal station of Iqbal Stadium, at a cost of Rs 35 million. The project is yet to be implemented.

Now, the WASA has decided to replace the plan with the construction of three underground water storage tanks at Dijkot Road, Tata Bazaar and Iqbal Stadium. These tanks are expected to be completed by May next year. The stored water will be used for irrigating parks and green spaces.

Water management experts, however, continue to emphasise that constructing rainwater recharge wells is a more effective and less expensive alternative. This not only helps replenish groundwater but also reduces the strain on the sewerage system.

Dr Rai Niaz, a former vice-chancellor of the Barani University, says that there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to recharge groundwater in Faisalabad. He suggests deepening green belts across the city by one to two feet to allow rainwater to naturally seep into the ground, thus replenishing the groundwater and improving its quality.

According to Dr Niaz, creating recharge wells in parks or vacant plots could harness rainwater for groundwater recharge. In areas lacking open land, recharge wells can be strategically placed near residential or commercial buildings to capture runoff from roads and rooftops that would otherwise be wasted through the sewage system.

These measures have become increasingly critical as Faisalabad’s groundwater levels continue to decline. The problem is exacerbated by the contamination of aquifers with chemically polluted wastewater from sewage and industry. The deteriorating quality of groundwater has made it unfit for human consumption, forcing many to rely on brackish water, which is also becoming scarce.

The groundwater is saline and harmful for health, even in residential areas a few hundred metres from the Rakh Branch Canal that runs through the city. As a result, many citizens are forced to purchase drinking water from filtration plants or obtain it from pumps installed along the Rakh Canal.

Social activist Altaf Hussain says that corruption in government departments is at the root of the issue. “Millions of rupees are spent each year without addressing the root cause of the problem,” he says.

“We need a permanent groundwater recharge system. It will not only improve water quality but also eliminate opportunities for corruption linked to rainwater mismanagement,” he says.

Dr Niaz and other likeminded experts have urged the provincial government to redirect the billions of rupees earmarked for expanding the city’s sewerage system towards developing a sustainable groundwater recharge system. This approach will not only mitigate the impact of increasingly intense rainfalls caused by climate change but also turn the challenge into an opportunity to create an eco-friendly and water-resilient Faisalabad.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets @ naeemahmad876