Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (PAPA) has decided to make operational all non-functional filtration plants across the province of Punjab including Lahore. In this regard, special teams will be constituted for making functional of such filtration plants while planning has also been made to ensure provision of clean drinking water to 20 million people till June 2020.

Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar met PAPA's Chairman General Ahmed Saleem Mela(Retd) and discussed measures taken so far as well as future strategy of the authority.

Speaking on this occasion, Governor Sarwar said that water quality of existing filtration plants in public and private sectors will be examined for which 'Water Quality Management' teams have been constituted which will ensure that the people are being supplied quality water through filtration plants.

The Governor expressed his resolve to fulfill the promise of provision of clean drinking water to the masses while lists of non-functional filtration plants have also been sought from respective district administration. "Undoubtedly, 50 per cent of the diseases are caused due to non-availability of clean drinking water that can save the people from fatal diseases," he said. "In the past, rulers had doled out billions of rupees from national exchequer in the name of so-called clean drinking water projects for the people but unfortunately no past government could provide clean drinking water to the people despite spending billions of rupees, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019