Jaranwala:
After over a year and a half of legal battles, procedural delays and control of several government agencies, the long -awaited RS3,845 billion sewerage and wastewater management project in Jaranwala are finally underway.
The project, which is considered a significant step towards meeting climate consumption targets and sustainable development goals (SDGs), set by the UN and Pakistan’s government for 2030, is carried out by the Municipal Committee (MC) Jaranwala.
According to official sources, the comprehensive project rehabilitation of municipal services, the construction of roads and chowks, includes drainage systems, laying a new sewerage network and establishing a wastewater treatment plant.
Additional components include the provision of liquid waste machinery, equipment for managing solid waste, model street development, rehabilitation of parks and green belts and installation of a disaster management system.
An MC officer who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the project had originally been subjected to severe controversy.
Disputes occurred during the tendering process when technical and financial bids were invited at the same time.
Only one company was declared technically qualified, which led other bidders to contest the decision in lower courts, Lahore High Court and various government institutions, including anti-corruption establishment, Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC), Punjab Procurement Regulatory (PPRA) (Dc) Faisalabad.
Despite PMDFC’s recommendation to include all bidders and the World Bank’s intervention through its assignment team leader, MC Jaranwala continued to open the bids in March and April 2024.
PPRA called for purchasing registers that were not provided, which resulted in cancellation of the tendering process.
Lahore High Court also issued a stay on the case during this period.
Last year, similar concerns from the World Bank Punjab Local Government Department led to suspend two key officials of MC Jaranwala, including Chief Officer, over irregularities in purchasing.
These setbacks delayed the project and deprived of over 1.5 million inhabitants of essential water and sanitation facilities.
However, assistant commissioner and administrator MC Jaranwala, Rangzeb Goraya, confirmed that the project is now progressing smoothly. “Civilian works are resumed. Key components such as the parking shed, multiple roads and chowks, supply of liquid waste and the disilence of sewer lines have already been completed in record time,” he said.
Goraya also revealed that five new PC-1s for complementary project-inclusive model streets, road rehabilitation and solarization of disposal stations-are completed.
