Faisalabad: Divisional Commissioner Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh said that a Rs22 billion surface water treatment project being executed through collaboration between Punjab government and French Development Agency is set to reshape Faisalabad’s drinking water landscape, with completion scheduled for June 2027 and an estimated 30 million gallons of treated water would be added daily to WASA network to benefit more than 600,000 people in rural areas.
He inspected the project site at Awagat and reviewed the ongoing work for laying the water supply pipeline.
He said that the addition of 30 million gallons of treated water per day to WASA system would increase the overall water supply by around 30 percent, substantially improving the agency’s capacity to meet the growing demand for drinking water.
During visit, Divisional Commissioner inspected different sections of the project and reviewed the progress of pipeline installation.
He also visited the project site at Makkoana to examine the ongoing development work.
He expressed satisfaction over the pace and quality of work and termed the Water Treatment Plant a mega public-welfare project with the potential to bring a major improvement in the provision of safe drinking water to rural populations.
He said that completion of the project would not only strengthen Faisalabad’s water supply system but also help address the longstanding need for safe and reliable drinking water in rural settlements, thereby contributing to improved public health and living standards.
Managing Director Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Faisalabad Engineer Saqib Raza and representatives of the French Development Agency briefed the divisional commissioner about the latest progress and various components of the mega project.
The project, described as one of the largest water-sector investments in the history of Faisalabad, is aimed at strengthening the city’s water supply infrastructure while expanding access to safe drinking water in underserved rural communities.
WASA Managing Director Engineer Saqib Raza said that the project represented an unprecedented investment in Faisalabad’s water sector and was being executed under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz to improve public services and ensure the availability of essential facilities to citizens.
He said that construction work on the project was being carried out under the supervision of Chinese engineers and technical experts, adding that the progress and quality of the ongoing construction activities were satisfactory.
Earlier, the divisional commissioner also visited the water treatment plant at Jhal Khannuana, established with the cooperation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where he was briefed on its operational performance.
WASA Managing Director said that JICA-supported plant was supplying five million gallons of treated water daily and benefiting more than 200,000 people with drinking water.
He said that Jhal Khanuana project had already been completed and formally handed over to WASA Faisalabad for operation and management.
The ongoing surface water treatment project, once completed, would complement the existing water supply infrastructure and significantly enhance WASA Faisalabad’s capacity to provide treated drinking water to a rapidly growing population, he added.