Public awareness campaign is identified as an essential component of the project. It provide means for interacting with the community residing in the project area and mobilizing them for achieving the project objectives. Sewer cleaning and Rehabilitation Scheme conducted by WASA in the walled city of Lahore in 1998 with the assistance of DFID acknowledged the role played by public awareness campaign in the successful implementation of the project. It is observed that communities tolerate the short term inconveniences associated with the project, if kept motivated and well informed of the development objectives of the project. The communication channels like posters, handbills, TV, radio and website messages inspire the communities and boost institution's image. Continuous networking with the local political, religious and trade institutions provided effective means for the dissemination of the message at the street level.

Accordingly a public awareness campaign has been launched by WASA for the project.

Objectives

Overall objectives of the public awareness campaign are:

• To keep the community and local institutions informed of the project activities and the benefits to be derived from it with the aim to secure their full cooperation in the successful implementation of the project
• Create broad based sense of ownership of the project by the community
• Sensitize community to the health and environmental issues arising out of the improper disposal of solid waste and impart knowledge of correct solid waste disposal techniques
• Improve public perception about WASA

The objectives of the public awareness campaign will be achieved through the following activities:

• Fortnightly advertisements in the daily newspapers
• Door to door distribution of handbills once a week
• Prepare video of the project activities highlighting sewer cleaning operations and its benefits for presentation in educational and other institutions.
• Prepare and install banners and sign boards at strategic locations in the project area
• Organize meetings with the community once every month at locations to ensure maximum community participation
• Regular visits of the public awareness campaign staff to the project area at strategic timings to enhance the process of dialogue with the community and to enlighten them on project objectives
• Door to door meetings particularly with the community living in the proximity of locations where equipment and machinery will be installed for sewer  cleaning, to apprise them about reasons of short term inconveniences and the long term benefits of the activity
• Developing networking with the local institutions and CBO's as a means of confidence building between WASA and community
• WASA will launch a web site of the project
  

All the public awareness campaign tools will be conducted in simple Urdu language with focus on the objectives of undertaking desilting operations and the benefits to be derived from it. Where necessary representative data and pictures will also be provided to strengthen the argument. The contents of the public awareness tools would be crisp and innovative to motivate the reader.

Project Awareness Campaign Elements and Planning

The public Awareness campaign will be conducted for a period of three years. Following table shows the activities and events that will be completed during a period of three years for the efficient promotion of the project objectives and achievements