The government is in process of setting-up water quality monitoring laboratories in eighteen districts to ensure water analysis facilities for the provision of safe drinking water to the citizens. These labs would be helpful in identifying the problems relating to all kinds of pollutants for initiating appropriate solution of the problems of the respective districts.
According to official sources here on Wednesday, the project costing Rs 1.413 billion would also provide information to the farmers about the water quality problems and would render the solution of these problems.
The project titled "Provision of Safe Drinking Water," being executed by Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) is aimed at improving the health of inhabitants and would provide the facilities for water quality analysis and help identify the source of contamination and pollution in drinking as well as irrigation water.
In addition, under the project, water conditioning and filtration units would be installed in each district as a pilot project. These units then can be replicated by district government for the provision of safe drinking water to the citizens.
Highlighting the activities being carried out under the project, the sources said assessment survey are being conducted for the existing water supply schemes to identify the problems hindering in the supply of safe drinking water and install pilot/demonstration water conditioning and filtration plants for larger scale adoption by the federal and local governments.
The other activities are to impart training to the technical staff of all water supply schemes of four provinces, AJK, Fata and Northern Areas and to investigate and identify the causes of pollution in water resources and to suggest the remedial measures for water quality improvement. About the impact of project, the sources said around 200 jobs will be generated as a result of this programme and it would help reduce expenditure occurred directly or indirectly on water related diseases.