Usman Younas takes charge as PFA DG

Orders field officers to collect samples from water filtration plants

LAHORE: Former Lahore District Coordination Officer (DCO) Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman Younas took charge as Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Director General on Monday.

In one of his first instructions after taking charge, Younas ordered field officers of the provincial food watchdog to collect water samples from filtration plants across the province within a week. As per direction of the Supreme Court, he stressed that the inspection of water filtration plants was a priority.

He said it is alarming that the National Nutrition Survey found that 44% of children and 60% women were facing issues related to nutrition. “To counter these problems, there is a need to strengthen the food fortification programme in collaboration with relevant government institutions,” he added. He underscored that the elimination of adulterators and standardised food will greatly help in addressing nutrition-related problems.  He stressed on the need to raise public awareness on safe food.



He said the authority will increase the use of information technology and broaden its licensing network to help food outlets improve their businesses. He indicated that the authority will further enhance its role by providing medical screening services, besides the expansion for food testing laboratories across Punjab.

Senior officials of the authority also gave a detailed briefing to the new head of the provincial food watchdog.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has recently taken suo motu notice of unsafe drinking water in the city and sought an explanation from the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) managing director, PFA director general and Punjab chief secretary. WASA managing director told the apex court that 576 tube-wells are supplying underground water across the city.



The former PFA DG told the court that as many as 1,148 mineral water companies are operating in Punjab, of which 350 are supplying bottled drinking water to Lahore alone. He disclosed that the authority had sealed around 145 bottled water companies for not adhering to standards. Only 66 companies were found to have been distributing up to the mark drinking water in bottles, he added.

The CJP reprimanded the provincial food watchdog for incentivising the water plant owners at the cost of consumers, who face the risk of being infected with hepatitis. The CJP observed that the treatment of hepatitis is too expensive for citizens. He directed the PFA to collect 100 water samples from companies operating across the city and dispatch them to the laboratory for inspections.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2018.