LAHORE: The rainwater accumulated at various construction sites of the Orange Line train project and the trunk sewer or sanitation/drainage pipes near the project route couldn`t be cleared till Thursday as the Wasa officials continued to drain out water through pumps and other equipment.

One the other hand, the Orange Line project steering committee sought launch of construction work on a new 14km long drain at the cost of Rs2.4 billion so that the residents of localities such as Lakshmi, Mall, GPO, Lake Road, AG Office and Chauburji could get rid of such water drainage issues.

The areas along the Orange Line route where the accumulated rainwater was reported included the train`s underground portion from the University Ground to Jain Mandir, the area near Lakshmi, dug out portions for concrete piling work/pillars from Dera Gujran to Lakshmi via Boharwala Chowk and Chauburji to Thokar and Ali Town (Rainwind Road) via Scheme Morr However, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) deputy managing director (engineering) Aftab Ahmad Dhilloonclaimed the agency had drained water from the areas it had dug for the trunl< sewer till Thursday af ternoon.

`We are responsible to clear the areas dug by us. So we have cleared our construction sites. And the sites where the Orange Line contractors have done digging will be cleared by themselves,` he explains while talking to Dawn.

However, a spokesman for Wasa says the agency officials are assisting the Orange Line project contractors in draining the rainwater through pumps at various locations-mainly those in package-1 where the piling work is going one.

`Wasa is assisting the project officials in draining the accumulated rainwater within dug/under-construction median line on the GT Road where the piling work has almost been done,` he adds.

Meanwhile, presiding over a hurriedly called meeting of the Orange Line project steering committee, the Lahore commissioner said the government had allocated Rs2.4 billion for constructing of the 14km long new drain that would pass through the central Lahore areas.

`This project will be helpful in getting rid of such issues permanently,` he added.