Upgraded WASA system accelerates rainwater drainage during monsoon: CM

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jul, 2026) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said the provincial government’s comprehensive monsoon management strategy, backed by modern machinery, AI-based digital monitoring and coordinated field operations, was delivering improved rainwater drainage across the province.

In a statement on Sunday, the CM said monsoon rains were continuing across Punjab while WASA teams remained engaged in round-the-clock operations, adding that more than 1,000 machines and thousands of sanitation workers had been deployed to ensure uninterrupted drainage of accumulated rainwater.

The CM said 300 modern cameras linked with the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s AI-based monitoring system were being used to identify waterlogging, while a 24/7 digital surveillance mechanism was keeping underpasses and other vulnerable locations under constant observation. She said the provincial administration, PDMA, Rescue 1122 and WASA had demonstrated exemplary coordination under a unified response plan to tackle monsoon-related challenges.

CM Maryam Nawaz said that, under the provincial government’s preparedness plan, around 400 kilometres of sewer lines, more than 700 kilometres of drains and over 225,000 manholes had been cleaned before the monsoon season, with the positive impact of these measures now becoming visible.

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She said newly established WASA districts had been equipped with dewatering sets, sucker machines, sewer jetting machines, wheel excavators, sewer desilting machines, water bowsers and cranes to strengthen drainage operations.

The CM said a centralized dashboard had been made fully operational, while rainfall data from 134 rain gauges was being monitored continuously to support timely decision-making. She added that monsoon emergency relief camps had been established in every city, while WASA teams remained active in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Attock, Chakwal, Murree, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Faisalabad and other districts to ensure swift disposal of rainwater.

CM Maryam Nawaz said the government was receiving encouraging public feedback from various districts, with residents of Lahore, Gujrat, Sialkot and Rawalpindi appreciating the significant improvement in drainage operations and acknowledging the efforts of the provincial administration.