‘Effective use of rainwater can help address both urban flooding, water scarcity’

Managed Aquifer Recharge will help improve declining groundwater levels, says Syed Zahid Aziz

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Feb 26th, 2026) In a major step towards sustainable water resource management and protection of groundwater reserves in Punjab, the Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC), in collaboration with UNICEF, organized the launch and training session of the Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) and Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Feasibility Study. Municipal officers (WatSan) from partner Municipal Committees under the Punjab Cities Program (PCP) and Punjab Inclusive Cities Program (PICP) participated in the event.

The training session aimed to familiarize municipal officers with modern concepts, technical aspects, and practical applications of rainwater harvesting and aquifer recharge to promote sustainable water management interventions across cities of Punjab in the future.

Chairman PMDFC Immad Iftikhar Malik attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest, while Yasir Mubeen, Senior Chief from the Planning & Development Department, Amjad Ali, Deputy Secretary Local Government Department, and Maliha Sajjad from UNICEF also participated in the event. Managing Director PMDFC Syed Zahid Aziz, along with senior officials of the organization, was also present on the occasion.

The feasibility study includes scientific research focused on effective utilization of rainwater, and improvement of underground water reserves. During the session, experienced hydrogeologists and researchers Arif Butt and Tariq Butt presented key findings and recommendations of the study, providing a detailed briefing on potential rainwater harvesting and aquifer recharge models suitable for different regions of Punjab.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman PMDFC Immad Iftikhar Malik stated that conserving rainwater would not only help save valuable water resources but also significantly reduce urban flooding issues in cities.

He termed the study an important milestone towards introducing modern and effective rainwater harvesting solutions in Punjab and expressed hope that its recommendations would be effectively implemented.

He further emphasized that rainwater harvesting could serve as a sustainable and long-term solution to the growing water crisis.

Managing Director PMDFC Syed Zahid Aziz, in his remarks, highlighted that the findings of the feasibility study would support future water management policy formulation.

He noted that Managed Aquifer Recharge can play a vital role in improving rapidly declining groundwater levels; however, unplanned recharge activities in saline water zones may pose risks to nearby freshwater aquifers, making scientific and hydrogeological assessments essential prior to implementation.

He further added that strengthening the capacity of local governments through training would help ensure effective conservation and management of water resources.