LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved gradual expansion of rainwater underground storage project in other districts. The stored water will be utilized for horticulture and drinking purposes after purification. He also directed the housing department to take steps in this regard.

The CM was chairing a meeting held here on Thursday to review the performance of the Punjab Housing Department. While addressing the meeting, the chief minister said underground storage tank facility at Lawrence Road is very useful as it can store 1.4 million gallons of rainwater. He also said a new sewerage line will be constructed from Larek Colony to Gulshan Ravi at an estimated cost of Rs 14 billion. "The Punjab government is also working on a surface water treatment plant in the provincial metropolis with a cost of around Rs 21 billion," he added.

Buzdar said the business plan has been devised so that WASA could operate according to new requirements. A horticulture academy will also be set up in Lahore to train the people about the intricate art of garden cultivation and management, the CM said.

He directed that the construction of houses under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme should start soon and the private sector will be provided with every necessary facility in this regard. He added that provision of clean drinking water projects under Aab-e-Pak Authority should move forward speedily, as an access to clean water is the fundamental right of every citizen. "Around Rs 6 billion is earmarked for Aab-e-Pak Authority so that citizens may remain safe from water-borne diseases," he added. The housing department, he said, should complete its public welfare projects within a stipulated period.

Punjab Housing Minister Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid, LDA vice chairman Sheikh Muhammad Imran, chief secretary, chairman provincial taskforce for affordable housing Yaqoob Tahir Izhar, general secretary (PTAH) Atif Ayub Meo and others attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020