Task force on water and sanitation on cards

Islamabad : The Climate Change Ministry has proposed the formation of a task force on water and sanitation.

It has also suggested the creation of an independent authority to ensure supply of safe drinking water to the people.

The two proposals will be put up to the federal cabinet for consideration and approval, adviser to the prime minister on climate change Amin Aslam told a delegation of the UNICEF in his office here on Tuesday.

Shahida Azfar, the deputy executive director of the UNICEF headquarters in New York, met the adviser to discuss water and sanitation situation in the country.

Amin Aslam said he would present the idea of formulating a task force on water and sanitation in the cabinet. "The proposed task force will be given a timeframe to achieve targets," he said. The adviser said the Punjab government had launched projects like ‘Saaf Pani’ (clean water) but they're not successfully executed.

He said newly-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan had highlighted the issue of child health in the second cabinet meeting showing the commitment of the current government towards protecting the children's health.

"For our government, it’s easy to coordinate and implement strategies as three provincial government are aligning with the federal government," he said. The UNICEF deputy executive director said her organisation would provide a working paper to the proposed task force to achieve targets.

She said 92 per cent of Pakistani population had access to water but not safe drinking water due to the issues of open defecation, which contaminated water.

"We need to support provincial governments to achieve sanitation targets," she said.

Jean Gogh, regional director of the UNICEF, South Asia, presented a report on 'Stunting and Malnutrition' saying many children does not get proper nutrition in first two years of birth. Kitka Goyoi, UNICEF chief (water sanitation and hygiene) said the ministry should create public awareness to check defecation in the open.