NAROWAL: A project to construct underground water tanks to protect Narowal city from rainwater and flooding has been delayed, leaving citizens facing severe difficulties as streets and roads are inundated after heavy rains.

The district administration had initiated the construction of underground water tanks to facilitate the safe movement of citizens during the rainy season.

Work on an underground water tank at Liberty Market was launched. The tank was designed to be 150 feet long, 12 feet wide and 11 feet deep, with a capacity of 120,000 gallons. The project was scheduled for completion by March 31, 2026.

The tank was intended to collect rainwater from Makki Masjid Road, Allama Iqbal Road, Jilani Colony, Mohalla Jogian and adjoining areas.

However, local resident Muhammad Hafeez said the tank had been constructed without installing water pumps or any other mechanism to drain the collected water. He claimed that after about an hour of heavy rain, the tank becomes full and one to two feet of water accumulates on Makki Masjid Road.

He said the Liberty Market project had failed to resolve the flooding problem.

The district administration also launched another major underground water tank project on the premises of the Women and Children IT Learning Park, opposite the Passport Office.

The second tank was designed to be 151 feet long, 78 feet wide and 12 feet deep, with an estimated cost of Rs6.5 million and a rainwater harvesting capacity of 500,000 gallons. It was scheduled for completion by June 30, 2026.

The tank was planned to collect rainwater from Old Court Road, the Passport Office area, City Police Station Road, Mohallah Khawajagan, Islampura, Abid Town and adjoining localities.

The delay in completing the project has left rainwater accumulating on city roads and streets for several hours, causing inconvenience to residents and shopkeepers.

Residents said that after two hours of heavy rain, water enters government offices, homes and shops. During heavy downpours, teams of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Suthra Punjab are seen working to drain the accumulated water.

Citizens Muhammad Ehsan and Kamal Ahmed said the chief minister’s plan to construct underground water tanks was a commendable initiative, but expressed concern over the delayed completion of fully funded public projects.

They alleged that unnecessary delays by officials were undermining projects launched for public convenience. They urged the chief minister to take immediate and strict notice of the situation.

Deputy Commissioner Narowal Muhammad Tayyab Khan was contacted for his comments on the matter but he did not respond.

Citizens said the delay in public-interest projects reflected poor administrative performance and demanded immediate action to ensure their timely completion.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2026