LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said the provincial government’s monsoon management plan was helping improve rainwater drainage across Punjab through the use of modern machinery, AI-based monitoring, and coordinated field operations.
In a statement, the chief minister said monsoon rains were continuing across the province, while WASA teams were working around the clock to clear accumulated rainwater. She said more than 1,000 machines and thousands of sanitation workers had been deployed to keep drainage operations running smoothly.
Maryam Nawaz said around 300 modern cameras connected to the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s AI-powered monitoring system were being used to detect waterlogging. She added that a 24/7 digital monitoring system was also keeping a close watch on underpasses and other flood-prone areas.
She said the provincial administration, PDMA, Rescue 1122, and WASA were working together under a coordinated response plan to deal with monsoon-related challenges.
The chief minister said that before the start of the monsoon season, nearly 400 kilometres of sewer lines, more than 700 kilometres of drains, and over 225,000 manholes had been cleaned. She said the benefits of these preventive measures were now visible.
Maryam Nawaz added that newly established WASA districts had been equipped with dewatering pumps, sucker machines, sewer jetting machines, wheel excavators, sewer desilting machines, water bowsers, and cranes to strengthen drainage operations.
She also said a central monitoring dashboard had been made fully operational, while rainfall data from 134 rain gauges was being monitored continuously to support timely decision-making.
According to the chief minister, monsoon emergency relief camps have been set up in every city, while WASA teams remain active in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Attock, Chakwal, Murree, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Faisalabad, and other districts to ensure the quick drainage of rainwater.
Maryam Nawaz said the government was receiving positive feedback from the public, with residents of Lahore, Gujrat, Sialkot, and Rawalpindi appreciating the noticeable improvement in drainage operations and acknowledging the efforts of the provincial administration.
