LAHORE, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 17th Jun, 2026) Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique has said that 52 underground water storage tanks have been completed in 51 cities under the Punjab Development Program (PDP) while another 43 water storage tanks are in the final stages of completion.
Presiding over a meeting at the PDP’s Program Management Unit (PMU) in Garden Town, he said that 41 kilometers of new drains are being constructed under the PDP while 13 kilometers of existing drains will be restored. Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Project Director Shahid Zaman Lak, Additional Secretary Mehreen Fahim Abbasi and Secretary Local Government board Ahmer Kaifi also attended the meeting.
Zeeshan Rafique directed to connect underground tanks with the prepared drains saying that all underground water tanks will have a total capacity of 55 million gallons of water storage.
“Excess rainwater collected in underground water tanks will go into drains”,he added. He said that all Municipal Officers Infrastructure (MOI) should send a report on the cleaning of drains.
He directed that the MOIs should complete the de-silting work before the onset of monsoon. The Local Government Minister said that 40 jetting and suction machines have been sent to the field to deal with urban flooding. “Another 30 suction units are expected to be received by June 25 and 21 machines by June 30.
Similarly, out of a total of 77 de-silting machines, 50 have been sent to different cities”, he revealed. Zeeshan Rafique expressed the expectation that 27 de-silting units will be delivered by June 20. He said that the company concerned has also promised to deliver 100 de-watering sets soon. “Modern machinery will no longer be limited to big cities. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered to provide drainage machinery for every city”, he observed. He said that work is being done in double shifts in 31 cities for the convenience of the people. The Minister urged that wherever necessary, work should continue day and night.
