The Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Coca-Cola Pakistan, initiated a reverse osmosis water filter plant in Model Colony to provide quality drinking water to the masses at subsidized rates of Rs5 per two gallons. A ceremony was held to launch the plant at the site on Saturday night.
Speaking at the occasion, the UN Programme on Environment analyst, M Usman Manzoor, said that the filter plant project was aimed at providing clean safe drinking water to the poor.
He said that the government should own these projects and invest to expand them to small towns and rural areas like Thar. He added that the UN will continue to work with SCOPE on such schemes in the future if this was run successfully.
SCOPE chief executive, Tanveer Arif, said that the filter plant had been installed to provide standard clean and purified drinking water to the poor. He said that the quality of water available at the plant was of international standard.
Speaking about the target customers and working of the plant, Arif said that they had initially carried out a survey of families’ incomes in Model Colony on the pattern of Benazir Income Support Program survey.
The filtered water will be provided to families with an income below Rs15,000 per month, he said. “Water quality in Karachi has been constantly deteriorating causing health issues. We therefore initiated this model water filter plant to provide quality drinking water to the poor so they have a chance to lead healthier lives.”
Arif said, “We also want to launch such projects in small towns and rural areas of the country, such as Thar and Umerkot, where people have no option but to drink contaminated water.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2013.
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It isn't too often you hear about stories like this. Many times when something great comes along like a new water filtration plant using the process of reverse osmosis, people on the lower end of the income scale are left out in the cold to deal with the water they were getting in the past. This is really great, and hopefully will set an example and standard for this country.