The Provincial Projects Implementation Unit (PPIU) has failed to install any water filter plant at unprivileged areas of the province after elapsing about nine months.
Sources in Sindh Planning and Development (P&D) Department told Business Recorder on Friday that Sindh government established PPIU with a cost of Rs 16 million to supervise the installation works of water filter plants in unprivileged areas of the province.
To a question, they replied that the funds were sufficient for the installation of water filter plants. They added that Sindh government had allocated Rs 653.94 million in budget for fiscal year 2007-08 for this purpose. They cited that due to lack of interest of officials concerned, the project was put under cold storage.
The unit has been established under Clean Drinking Water for All (CDWA) announced by President Pervez Musharraf in 2006. Under the programme it is imperative on provincial government to ensure provision of potable water in every part of the province by end of 2007.
They however said, "after elapsing of mentioned deadline for installing water filter plant across Sindh, PPIU has failed to install at least a single unit at unprivileged areas where people are suffering by contaminated drinking water.
Due to surge in water related diseases like gastro-enteritis, diarrhoea, various types of Hepatitis and others at unprivileged areas like Mithi, Tando Allah Yar, Tando Adam, Ghotki, Matiari, etc, PPIU has been assigned the task to ensure the provision of safe drinking water at these localities. They lamented that PPIU was not playing its significant role in minimising water-borne ailments at aforementioned areas where water quality was not good.