Punjab govt determined to provide clean water

Governor reiterates Aab-e-Pak authority has been formed to serve the masses

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has reiterated his government’s resolve to provide safe and clean drinking water to entire population of Punjab. At the same time, he acknowledged that 80% of the province’s population is consuming unsafe drinking water

Presiding over a meeting of Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (PAA), Sarwar, who had been appointed as patron-in-chief of the authority through the Act of Parliament, said the body had been formed to provide clean drinking water to the masses. “As per promise, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is committed to provide clean drinking water to masses during next four to five years.”

He indicated that private companies who are selling drinking water in Punjab will be issued a licence after investigation and inquiry by the PAA. A record of all the government and private filtration plants in Punjab is being compiled to check the quality of water being provided by them.

The meeting reviewed progress of ongoing spadework being completed by the newly constituted authority which aims to provide clean drinking water to 110 million people. In partnership with the private sector, the authority will install water filtration plants in different neighbourhoods, schools, hospitals, jails and other public places.

Sarwar, who coined the idea of installing water filtration plants for provision of clean drinking water to masses across Punjab, said that 80% of the province’s population is consuming unsafe drinking water. “Over 1.1 million people die annually due to water borne diseases, he highlighted. The governor added around 0.2 million children are being reported to be taken to public hospitals due to water borne diseases. “Nearly half of the patients in public hospitals are being admitted due to waterborne diseases,” he lamented.

He regretted the fact that many died every year by consuming polluted water, while others were affected by hepatitis and different fatal waterborne diseases.

The idea of setting up filtration plants to provide safe drinking water to masses across the province was floated by Sarwar himself. He had given a detailed presentation to Prime Minister Imran Khan when he visited Lahore in November last year.

Last month, the Governor announced names of PAA board of governors. He nominated General (Retd) Ahmad Nawaz Saleem Mela as chairman, while the housing and public health secretary has been appointed as chief executive officer of the authority. Gohar Ijaz had been nominated as head of PAA Central Punjab and would also head the human resource (HR) department. At the same time, Mian Talat Mahmood would head the finance committee and Rabia Zia would take charge of North Punjab Authority and social media.

South Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority would be headed by Faisal Mukhtar, while Khurram Mukhtar would take charge of the procurement committee. All these office holders will also assume responsibility of board members of the Punjab PAA. Along with the aforementioned members, Local Government Secretary Syed Waseem Raza, Planning and Development Secretary Muhammad Ramzan, Finance Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal, and Housing and Public Department Secretary Naseem Sadiq will also be board members of the authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2019.