Minister Labour Welfare Punjab, Haji Ehsaan-ud-Din Qureshi has said the government has evolved a comprehensive strategy for improving environmental health and around Rs 10 billion will be spent to supply safe and clean drinking water in urban and rural areas.
Around 55 percent funds would be utilised in rural areas. He told that Rs 2 billion has been reserved for the provision of water filtration plant whereas, the government has reserved Rs 12 billion for local governments for development programme. He said that Rs 3 billion would be utilised for local level development schemes to provide facilities like link roads in rural areas and other basic amenities.
Talking to various delegations, Haji Qureshi on Tuesday said that measures were being taken to save the people from communicable and non-communicable diseases and to provide them clean environment. The minister said that an action plan was being implemented for the provision of clean & safe water supply to the masses of the province and required funds have been provided for this purpose, whereas, sufficient amount would be spent for the upgradation of drainage & sewerage system of the big cities in the province. He said that the government is giving top priority to the supply of clean & safe drinking water to the masses, as it was essential for human health and to prevent the spread of fatal diseases like hepatitis, typhoid, etc whereas, water testing laboratories would also be set up even in the small towns of the province.