Punjab Earmarks Rs75.99 Billion for Sewerage and Street Upgrades in 13 Cities

The Punjab government has allocated Rs75.987 billion to upgrade sewerage and drainage systems and pave streets across 13 cities, according to details of the province's development programme. The amount represents the single largest share of a broader Rs126.7 billion development package.

The works are planned in Mailsi, Abdul Hakeem, Ferozewala, Daska, Mandi Bahauddin's Jamkay Cheema, Kamoke, Kot Abdul Malik, Muridke, Alipur Chatha, Hazro, Renala Khurd and Mian Channu, officials said. The scheme is designed to address long-standing complaints about poor drainage and unpaved roads in these urban centres.

Officials described the allocation as a deliberate shift in spending priorities, with funds directed toward basic urban infrastructure in smaller cities rather than being concentrated in the province's major metropolitan areas. The move is expected to improve sanitation, reduce waterlogging during the monsoon season and make local roads more usable for residents and businesses.

Municipal services in many mid-sized Punjabi towns have struggled for years with ageing sewer lines, inadequate drainage and damaged road surfaces, issues that residents frequently raise with local representatives. The new funding is intended to finance both the replacement of deteriorating underground lines and the paving of connecting streets.

The programme forms part of the provincial government's wider effort to expand development spending beyond Lahore and a handful of large cities. Details of how the funds will be divided among the 13 cities, and the timelines for individual schemes, are expected to be worked out as the projects move into the implementation phase.

Residents of the selected towns will be watching closely for visible progress, since similar announcements in the past have sometimes taken years to translate into on-ground work. The success of the package will depend largely on timely execution and effective monitoring by the relevant provincial and municipal departments.