CM seeks province-wide drinking water plan

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has sought a province-wide plan within five days to ensure the supply of safe drinking water to every household.

Chairing a meeting of the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority, she ordered that efforts to provide safe drinking water to citizens be expedited.

It was agreed to seek international consultancy for the initiative, while the latest Japanese and Chinese technologies would be introduced for water purification.

The participants were informed that the Saaf Pani Authority would be restructured and upgraded on modern lines, similar to the Suthra Punjab programme.

It was decided that the authority would be fully empowered administratively and technically, and equipped with modern technology, human resources and transport facilities.

Officials said in a briefing that RO and modern filtration plants would be installed as per regional requirements.

Plant IDs, operators' names, contact numbers and operating hours would also be displayed at the filtration and RO facilities across the province.

The chief minister directed that all 5,734 water filtration plants in the province be repaired and properly maintained.

She ordered the installation of additional plants wherever required.

She ordered that the authority's jurisdiction be expanded to all tehsils of Punjab.

The participants were informed that the supply of safe drinking water through mobile bottling plants had begun in remote areas, with operational units benefiting more than 2,400 families daily. It was also decided that all trucks and plants of the authority would be monitored.

"Alongside development projects, the provision of clean drinking water to citizens is my top priority," the CM said.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also met Punjab Assembly members from Bahawalnagar and discussed the political situation, development projects and issues being faced by the people in their constituencies, assuring them that all genuine problems would be addressed.

The lawmakers appreciated the chief minister's initiative to provide clean drinking water across the province.