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One definite way to avoid flooding of Lahore in rainy season is to implement a new Master Plan
Last week’s heavy downpour turned Lahore into one big cesspool. It took up to two days to flush out rainwater from the low-lying areas of the city.
A perfect photo op, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif waded through knee-deep water to inspect the situation in various localities after rains and lauded the efforts of the Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) officials to counter rain-related damages. He announced cash prizes for their services.
But, given the scale of deluge and damages incurred, a revamp of the sewerage and drainage system has not been a priority for Shahbaz Sharif.
In Lahore, the deluge after rains has become quite predictable, for the drainage system is still based on the Master Plan 1975, despite the fact that the city has undergone drastic infrastructure development, population surge and urbanisation.
In the last 40 years, the provincial capital has grown to be the second largest city in the country with the population of 10 million. More than 400 housing schemes, legal or illegal, have mushroomed in the city. The figure of 0.5 million housing units recorded in 1975 has swelled to 2.1 million. Every year, it welcomes 0.4 to 0.6 million immigrants.
"Punjab government has focused on projects like Metro Bus, flyovers, and underpasses, and has paid least attention to drainage and sewerage of the city," says a senior official of Wasa. "To protect the streets and localities of Lahore from flooding, a new system must be launched," he adds.
According to reliable sources, after an extensive study, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) proposed Rs40 billion plan to change the entire sewerage and drainage system of south and central Lahore which invariably get submerged in rainwater every monsoon.
Former Managing Director, Wasa, Javed Iqbal says there was a plan to build a Reinforce Cement Concrete (RCC) conduce, a large room, 16 feet wide, 11 feet long and 35 feet below the surface, with 72 inch pipes linked to the main drains. For some reason, the plan could not materialise. And, "Today, if this is developed, it would cost Rs70 billion," he says.
Director (P&E) Wasa, Shakeel Ahmed says since that plan was to cater only to central and south parts, the Punjab government has decided to revise the Master Plan 1975.
The New Master Plan will upgrade the existing 215-kilometre-long drain network, including nine primary drains (79.33 km), namely Sukh Nehr Drain, Choota Ravi Drain, Cantonment Drain, Sattu Katla Drain, Iqbal Town Drain, Shahdara Drain and Lakshmi Drain. It will also redesign 70 secondary drains (119.66 km) and 67 roadside drains (114.67 km) in the city.
Proposed plan will also revamp around 4,000 sewerage lines in the length and breadth of the city.
In the dark
Feeders, transmission lines and other infrastructure of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) break down after a slight drizzle. So, imagine what a rainstorm can do it. The system collapses and the city plunges into blackout.
Last week’s rains caused Lesco’s 100 out of 800 feeders to trip in rotation in various localities. The worst-hit areas were DHA, GOR, Gulberg and other northern parts of Lahore - because of inefficiency, understaffing, outlived paraphernalia and unplanned power transmission lines.
A senior Lesco official says, "The inefficient staff and untrained technicians fail to cope with crisis."
He blamed poor quality of insulators at transmission lines as the main reason behind power outages. "Insulators made in Pakistan often develop cracks due to weather harshness. As soon as rain begins, they get soaked and cause tripping. "Commission mafia never allows imported insulators to be used," he adds.
Majority of the 94,000 transformers in 80 sub-divisions are outdated. Faulty transformers are often replaced with faulty ones after minor repairs. The company is under-equipped. Supply of new cranes and gadgets to remove trees that fall on cables aggravates the problem.
Director Operations Lesco, Abdul Rehman, says it is routine practice to shut down the system in rain and windstorm -- "We do not have an underground power transmission system. Overhead system is a nuisance all over the world". Better-trained staff, up-graded system and up-to-date technology may solve the problems. "We demand Rs1.3 billion to buy new transformers and hope it will create a difference," he concludes.
The plan envisages separation of sewerage from drainage system. Wasa covers 350 square kilometres, with no intervention in 1,772 square kilometers that belongs to DHA, Cantt, Model Town and some other housing societies.
The new Master Plan will cover the entire Lahore district to link up all drains, sewerage lines and trunk sewers with one system to achieve desired results. All 12 main disposal stations and 87 lift station are likely to be widened and more will be inducted under the new system.
Wasa spokesman Imtiaz Ahmed says, "If the new Master Plan, with 25 year planning horizon, is enforced, flooding and water stagnation will decrease by 95 per cent."
He thinks the public’s wish of "zero water accumulation" is unrealistic, maintaining that no miracle could dry Lahore within minutes after rain. "Lahore city has a flat topography with a mild southwestern slope towards Ravi. Lahore’s drainage was planned towards north, against this natural slope," he adds.
More than 2,100 encroachments -- katchi abadis, markets, kiosks, makeshift eateries and even the government buildings -- on eight main drains have reduced the total disposal capacity of these drains to half, because of which roads get flooded soon after rain. On Shalimar Link Road, the width of the drain was been reduced from 150 to 30 feet. Similarly, construction of shops on Beadon Road drain has reduced its width from 100 to 10 feet. Construction of houses on drain walls in Bagh Munshi Ladha has reduced its width from 50 to 20 feet.
Another official says, due to stay orders, Wasa is helpless in removing encroachments. "Wasa’s case in the court was weak as the Authority did not have ownership rights of drains. Wasa wrote a number of letters to Board of Revenue to transfer the lands of drains from Pakistan Works Department (PWD) to Wasa. No progress is in sight," he says.
Managing Director Wasa, Chaudhry Naseer, says the Authority will soon be issuing tenders, and hopes there will be visible progress soon.
"Still it is a great job done by Wasa. The city was lashed with more than 424mm of rain and in two days we were able to flush out the rainwater.
Wasa has reduced ponding points from 74 to 24. Last year, the city received 120mm of rain and Wasa drained out water in 20 minutes to 2.5 hours, as compared to 55 minutes to 6 hours in 2012," he says.
MD Wasa assures that "zero accumulation" of water will be possible when the new Master Plan is implemented.
CM secretariat officials say the situation will improve in coming days as encroachments along Birdwood drain, Central drain, and Cantonment drain have been removed and tendering process has been completed -- allocating Rs2.7 billion to widen the drains to facilitate disposal of rainwater.
