Punjab govt to install modern water meters

KARACHI: The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) plans to install modern water meters throughout its Punjab cities to provide precise billing and prevent water wastage.

The new meters will function like existing electricity and gas systems, which enable customers to pay according to their actual consumption. The government officials will use individual household water meters to stop water theft and unauthorized connections.

The installation process will be managed by Shazil Waqar, a BS-19 officer who has been designated as Project Director for the installation project.

WASA has approved a water meter installation project as part of a larger plan that includes two major projects, which will enhance water management systems and infrastructure development through 41 Punjab cities with a total budget of approximately Rs. 5 billion.

The first project concentrates on the installation of recharge wells, which aim to restore the decreasing groundwater levels. The project will implement a rainwater management system that diverts rainfall into underground storage facilities, which will operate during monsoon events.

Authorities will protect open areas that border parks, streets, and offices and business districts because they want to stop rainwater from escaping into drainage systems.

This solution will use contemporary methods to achieve instant ground infiltration. The implementation of recharge wells has already started in Lahore, where groundwater levels have decreased to more than 700 feet because of drought conditions, reduced precipitation, restricted access to open land, and the rising demand for tube wells in the public and private sectors.

The Punjab Development Programme-II serves as a crucial element for developing drainage and sewer systems, which will be constructed at 34 new WASA cities through the program. The first phase is already underway in 16 cities, while work in the remaining areas will begin after Eid.