Modern rural sanitation launched

Officials assigned responsibilities, residents’ management panels formed

LAHORE:

The Punjab Local Government Department has launched a village sanitation scheme in all the 2,468 union councils across the province.

The initiative is aimed at providing modern sanitation facilities in the rural areas and comprehensive monitoring of their implementation.

Provincial Local Government Secretary Dr Irshad Ahmed has assigned responsibilities regarding the scheme to the directors, deputy directors and assistant directors of the department.

Under the programme, local government directors and deputy directors will be in charge of maintaining cleanliness in the villages and conducting routine monitoring of the services.

Dr Irshad Ahmed said the initiative would also help restrict illegal construction in the rural areas.

He said security guards and sanitary staff will be deputed in every union council to implement the programme.

The government will allocate more then Rs5 billion annually for sanitation, epidemics control, watch system and other services in the villages.

After cleanliness work in the rural union councils, it will also be the responsibility of the assistant directors concerned of the local government department to submit real-time photographs on the local government dashboard in order to ensure transparency in the monitoring.

Management committees have been formed with the representation of local people to oversee the scheme.

These management committees will carry out the tasks under the direction of the assistant commissioners, while the Numberdars will help collect the sanitation fees.

Local Government Department Special Secretary Pervez Iqbal and Director General Shafaat Ali gave all the directors a briefing on the programme’s goals and objectives. An team of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) also instructed the assistant directors on how to use an application developed for the rural sanitation programme.

The caretaker provincial cabinet has also approved the extension of Waste Management Company-style initiatives to union councils in rural areas adjoining eight major cities.

Waste Management Companies have been established in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Sialkot and Lahore. According to officials, the approach is now being extended to the rural areas to enhance sanitation facilities, address waste issues and create a better environment.

Under the Punjab government’s programme for rural areas, three daily-wage workers will be hired on a daily wage basis for each union council to work on a rotational basis, ensuring continuous coverage. The workers will be paid a monthly wage of Rs20,000.

For waste collection points in each union council, motorcycles with carriers will be provided. The expenditure will include fuel, driver’s salary and other expenses, amounting to a monthly cost of Rs90,000. Similarly, Rs25,000 per month will be allocated for stationery and other related expenses.

Consequently, each union council’s sanitation and waste management will cost approximately Rs175,000.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, the local government secretary shared that sanitation and improved environmental conditions will now benefit the rural areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2023.