Wastewater treatment projects to start soon

Senior minister says schemes will be launched in the first phase

LAHORE:  

The wastewater utilisation project will be started soon in Punjab and big cities have been chosen have been chosen in the first phase, said Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan.

He was talking to the heads of Chinese companies who called on him to discuss the possibilities of restarting projects for used water.

“There is a dire need to save maximum water otherwise future can be grim,” he said. In the first phase, wastewater treatment plants would be established in Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Sargodha. The projects would be join ventures with international companies on a public-private partnership basis, he mentioned.

He added rivers and canals should also be channelised to meet daily water needs. “The projects should be of international standard so that citizens can be provided the best facilities.”

The minister said Chinese companies would be offered complete cooperation. He assured crystal clear deals and zero involvement of the commission mafia.

The senior Minister also asked Chinese companies to hold negotiations with P&D and other civic agencies to that practical work could be initiated as soon as possible. “The previous government did nothing for water reservation and looted billions of rupees in the name of drinking water projects,” he said.

Aleem said steps were being taken to provide sufficient and clean water to the people of Punjab. He outlined that wastewater treatment projects would also be part of the same campaign.

“In the coming years, practical progress will be made in the water sector and solid results will be attained in all the areas of the province,” said Aleem. He added that unhygienic water causes many diseases, while levels were decreasing in the big cities with each passing say.

The minister assured full cooperation to the Chinese companies, saying they should also complete work as per the satisfaction of the public in Punjab.

The minister was briefed by Chinese Company Shaanxi's Project Director James Liu and Director of Qingshulyuan Lee Lei. The Chinese representatives said their companies had a great interest in investing in the wastewater treatment sector in Pakistan. They said that the companies had been working successfully in 46 countries. Liu and Lei added that they had been actively involved at the Bin Qasim plant in Karachi for the last two years. They also assured the meeting of starting work early in Punjab to reuse water.