BAHAWALPUR: Sewer lines in severalpartsofthecityarechoked, causing a great deal of inconvenience to residents.
According to affected residents, the worst-hit areas include Mohallah Chah Fateh Khan, Chowk Darul Kabab in front of Quaid-iAzam Medical College (QAMC), Maqbool Colony near Baghdad Station, 9-BC, Shadab Colony, Mailiwali Gali, Himayatian, Mohajir Colony and Yazman Road.
Residents complained that sewage water was overflowing onto roads and streets, making movement extremely difficult.
People living in these localities said they were facing hardships in reaching their homes, while worshippers were unable to access nearby mosques to offer prayers.
Shopkeepersandstudentsalsosuffered due to the unhygienic conditions and stagnant sewage on roads.
Residents expressed resentment that despite the poor sewerage conditions, Wasa officials had issued sewerage bills worth millions of rupees and allegedly warned consumers of disconnection in case ofnon-payment.
When contacted, Wasa officials stated that since the authority had recently established its set-up in Bahawalpur, it was managing operations across all areas of the city.
They explained that many underground sewerage lines laid several years ago had become severely clogged.
Officials said a comprehensive desilting campaign had been launched to clear the blocked pipelines, adding that the process would take time but would eventually restore smooth flow in the sewerage system and provide relief to residents.
The Wasa authorities further claimed that they had approached the government for millions of rupees funds to overhaul the city’s outdated and defective sewerage infrastructure.
Meanwhile, residents appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to allocate adequate funds for the replacement of Bahawalpur’s aging sewerage system, which, they said, had become a constant nuisance for them.-MAJFLDG1LL