Work on non-functional water filtration plants starts

LAHORE:The Punjab Aab Pak Authority has formally initiated restoration and repair work on all non-functional water filtration plants in three districts, including Lahore and Sargodha.

In order to ensure provision of clean drinking water to the people, committees under chairmanship of deputy commissioners have been constituted in 36 districts of Punjab for installation and restoration of filtration plants.

A meeting of Punjab Aab Pak Authority’s was held with its patron-in-chief Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar in the chair at Governor’s House on Friday. Punjab Aab Pak Authority Chief Executive Officer/Wasa Managing Director Zahid Aziz, Punjab Aab Pak Authority Chairman Gen (r) Ahmed Nawaz Saleem Mela, Board Member/Principal Secretary to Governor Dr Rashid Mansoor and other members of the board attended the meeting.

The Punjab governor said that Punjab Aab Pak Authority had set a target to provide clean drinking water to 20 million people of Punjab by June 2020, for which, effective measures were being put in place. Each penny of Punjab Aab Pak Authority will transparently be spent on provision of clean water to the masses.

“I will review progress on filtration plants’ restoration work on weekly basis and any leniency in this regard will not be tolerated,” he said. In the first phase, those districts are being focused where the water problem is severe. The rural areas are also among government’s priorities. “In Sha Allah, we will fulfil the promise of provision of clean drinking water,” he said.

The meeting was briefed that after assessing the lists of non-functional filtration plants in Lahore and other districts of Punjab, work on restoration of such filtration plants had formally been commenced in Lahore, Faisalabad and Sargodha, and respective deputy commissioners were looking into all matters.

adulteration: The Punjab government has decided to step up the campaign against adulteration in the province and take stern action against those involved in the heinous business.

It was decided in a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Major (r) Azam Suleman Khan here Friday. The chief secretary (CS) was briefed on the actions taken over sale of expired chocolates, chips, rancid cocking oil, fake beverages and stale food in restaurants and marriage halls.

The CS directed that crackdown on adulterators be expedited but there should be no harassment in the name of campaign against adulteration. He asked the officers to show no leniency to the persons involved in adulterating food items as they were the enemies of people and the country.