Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday directed the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) to immediately set up one water filtration plant in each district of the country to provide clean drinking water. He made this directive during a presentation from PCRWR on effective usage and reducing waterborne diseases. The Prime Minister said that provision of clean drinking water was the top priority of the government.
Each district will also have a water-testing laboratory, Shaukat Aziz said. Keeping in view the deteriorating water quality in Sargodha, Ziarat, Hyderabad and Mardan, he directed that filtration plants should be established in these districts on priority basis.
Establishment of low-cost water filtration plants and testing laboratories in 107 districts will cost the government around Rs 1.8 billion.
The Prime Minister directed that all water supply schemes being set up by the federal government should have chlorination plants as well, so that people could get bacteria-free clean drinking water.
The PCRWR has implemented a mega project in Cholistan. With the implementation of this project safe and clean drinking water has been made available to people in the area. Shaukat Aziz directed the ministry of science and technology to immediately launch such projects in Thar (Sindh) and Kharan (Balochistan).
The Prime Minister further said that low cost drip and sprinkler system of irrigation should be introduced in the country along with bed and furrow methods of irrigation to save water.
He was informed that PCRWR has developed low-cost desalination units for purification of saline water. Shaukat Aziz directed to set up such plants, at large scale, in the coastal areas of the country where ground water is brackish.
The Prime Minister said the provincial and district governments should also make efforts with the collaboration of industrialists to set up affluent treatment plants.
While appreciating the research work of the Council, the Prime Minister said they should also launch a mass awareness campaign in collaboration with the ministries of health, food and Agriculture to educate the general public on effective water usage and need to reduce waterborne diseases.