I have seen WASA performance in the city:Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that stern action will be taken against the officials responsible if rainwater accumulated anywhere in the provincial metropolis.
He was presiding over a meeting regarding arrangements for monsoon and disposal of rainwater, here today. Provincial Minister Ch. Abdul Ghafoor, Members National and Provincial Assembly belonging to Lahore, secretaries of concerned departments, heads of development institutions, Commissioner Lahore Division and District Coordination Officer Lahore attended the meeting.

He said that he wants results and will not be satisfied merely with reports. He said that had the system been functioning properly the rainwater would not have remained standing on the roads for a long time even after heavy rain and people would not have faced difficulties.

He said that elected representatives and government officers should realize their responsibilities and make the best arrangements for the quick disposal of rainwater. He said that it is regrettable that the concerned departments and institutions had not made satisfactory arrangements for the drainage of rainwater. He said that had the concerned departments been working in a coordinated manner the citizens would not have faced inconvenience.

The Chief Minister expressed his dissatisfaction over the rainwater disposal arrangements and the capacity of the concerned staff in this regard in the wake of torrential rain yesterday and reprimanded the concerned officers over the accumulation of rainwater at some places in the provincial metropolis. Issuing a warning to the officers to improve their performance, he said that he wants results. He said that improvement of the system is a collective responsibility and rainwater should not remain standing in any area for long.

He directed WASA to improve the arrangement for the drainage of water and said that machinery should remain fully operational and presence of entire staff at the disposal stations should be ensured at any cost. He said that accumulation of water not only in low lying areas but posh areas as well poses a big question about the efficacy of drainage system.