Aab-e-Pak Authority to restore spare filtration plants across Punjab

Governor says promise of provision of clean drinking water will be fulfilled at all costs

LAHORE: The Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority has decided to restore all non-functional filtration plants operational across Punjab.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar on Monday. Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority’s Chairman General (retd) Ahmed Saleem Mela briefed the governor about the measures taken so far as well as the future strategy of the authority. Speaking on the occasion Sarwar said water quality of existing filtration plants in public and private sector would be examined for which water quality management teams have been constituted.

Special teams will be constituted for the repair and restoration of such filtration plants. A strategy has been formulated to ensure the provision of clean drinking water to 20 million people by June 2020.

The teams will ensure that people are being supplied quality water through filtration plants and the filtration plants providing sub-standard water will face heavy fines and other punishments.

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“The promise of provision of clean drinking water with the masses will be fulfilled at all costs. The lists of dysfunctional filtration plants have also been sought from respective district administrations and immediate steps will be taken for the functioning of filtration plants in light of those lists,” he said. In this connection, teams have also been formed and rural areas will be preferred with regard to new water filtration plants.

“The Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority will ensure the basic right of clean drinking water in every city of Punjab. There is no doubt in it that 50% of the diseases are caused due to non-availability of clean drinking water that can save the people from fatal diseases.

He said the previous regimes had doled out billions of rupees from the national exchequer in the name of so-called clean drinking water projects for the people but unfortunately no past government could provide clean drinking water to people despite spending billions of rupees.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2019.