Pulling districts out of the doldrums

DASKA: The Punjab government has approved a comprehensive plan for providing potable drinking water facilities throughout Punjab. The government has released plans for upgrading the drainage system throughout the rural and urban areas of the province and the provincial government has allocated a large development fund of Rs 9 billion for this purpose.

Under the multi-phased programme, 54 per cent of the grant is allocated to be spent on uplift schemes for rural areas. According to senior government officials, the provincial government has also allocated a sum of Rs2 billion to launch new water supply schemes in Punjab and areas where the current water supply is sour and unhygienic.

“Providing clean drinking water for everyone is a top priority of the Punjab government, it is a basic right of every citizen,” a Wapda official Saleem Noor said.

“The government is working to provide an average quota for every family living in the rural areas, so that we can guarantee they have access to clean water,” he said.

The government will also spend Rs3 billion for local level development schemes including the construction of link roads in rural areas, provision of the basic facilities in government educational institutions and water supply and drainage system upgrade schemes in active consultation with the local elected representatives in each locality, the officials added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2010.