Maryam Nawaz Removes WASA Chiefs Over Poor Sanitation

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has removed the managing directors of the Water and Sanitation Authority serving in Kasur, Faisalabad and Okara over unsatisfactory sanitation conditions in their respective areas. The decision was taken on Tuesday during a high-level review of the provincewide cleanliness campaign.

The removals came during a meeting focused on the performance of the Suthra Punjab initiative, a campaign aimed at improving sanitation, waste collection and civic cleanliness across Punjab. The chief minister expressed strong displeasure over deteriorating cleanliness standards in several cities and directed officials to take firm action against underperforming officers.

According to the decisions made in the meeting, the removed managing directors will not be given alternative postings. The direction signals a stricter accountability approach toward officials responsible for sanitation management and municipal service delivery in key urban centers.

The chief minister also ordered relevant authorities to issue formal warning letters to other managing directors whose performance was found weak. The move indicates that further administrative action could follow if cleanliness conditions do not improve in other areas under review.

To strengthen field monitoring, the meeting decided to equip Field Monitoring Officers with body cameras. The cameras are expected to support real-time tracking of field activity and provide a clearer record of sanitation inspections, staff presence and on-ground performance.

Deputy Commissioners were directed to supervise Field Monitoring Officers on a daily basis. A dedicated monitoring section will also be established to oversee field staff and ensure that performance checks are followed through rather than remaining limited to paperwork or periodic briefings.

The meeting was also briefed on new civic enforcement measures. E-challans under the anti-littering campaign have started through Safe City surveillance cameras, allowing authorities to use monitoring technology against violations linked to public cleanliness.

A strict 15-day deadline was set for completing the rollout of the door-to-door waste collection campaign. Instructions were also issued to fully activate the Suthra Punjab Beat System across the province, with the administration now under pressure to show visible improvement in sanitation services and public cleanliness standards.