RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Information Technology University (ITU) the Punjab, Lahore is all set to develop smart solutions pertaining to water related projects for Water & Sanitation Agency (WASA), Lahore Development Authority (LDA), of Housing Urban Development & Public Health Engineering Department (HUD&PHED) Government of Punjab, through research based innovative application of technology. Prof Dr Umar Saif founding Vice Chancellor ITU said after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with WASA officials here Monday.

Dr Saif said that ITU would develop innovative system for WASA to digitally monitor in real time the rain and water ponding tracks by installing a low cost in-house developed devise at 25 different locations of Lahore, and is aimed to be deployed in the upcoming monsoon season. The installations of sensors at tube wells and disposal stations will make them intelligent, effective and economically efficient by reducing electricity charges of up to twenty percent per annum, he added.

He further stated that WASA will be a new sector that would benefit from ITU, as ITU is already contributing in other public sector departments such as improvement of vaccination system and crops by using satellite imagery. WASA and ITU shall cooperate and collaborate for the research and development activities with a prime focus on design and development of hardware and software units, he said.

MD, WASA, LDA Syed Zahid Aziz said that ITU's technological interventions for online ponding areas would ensure effectiveness and establish credibility that would modernize WASA. We were already having coordination in 21 different sectors with PITB, where Citizen Complaint Centre (CCC) is helping WASA to improve its functioning and rectifying the problems reported by the public, he added.