CM Mahmood Khan for action against illegal, unregistered water connections

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department to initiate action against all illegal and unregistered water connections throughout the province and ensure that within two months.

He said this while chairing a review meeting of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, said an official handout.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on PHE, Riaz Khan, informed that 72,589 illegal water connections have been identified. "And 4,930 have been regularised whereas a target of Rs.218 million, underwater charges recovery will be achieved during the current financial year," he added.

He said the draft-provincial sanitation policy has been prepared which would be presented in the cabinet.

The Provincial Drinking Water Policy 2015 is currently being updated whereas the work on Integrated Water Resources Management Strategy is also underway, added the special assistant. The meeting was informed about the major achievements of the PHE Department during the last year.

These included completion of 268 water supply schemes, 243 sanitation schemes, rehabilitation of 67 water supply schemes, solarization of 14 existing tube wells, completion of nine new solar-based tube wells, completion of sewerage schemes in Dera Ismail Khan City Phase-I and initiation of work on sewerage scheme DI Khan city Phase-II, Utla Dam for Gadoon area and water supply scheme for Rehmanabad and Shakardara in Kohat. With regards to budget utilization, the chief minister was informed that 60 per cent of the released amount has been utilized.

In order to ensure transparency and accountability, the meeting was informed that e-bidding and e-billing are currently being practiced.

The meeting was also informed that the PHE Department is undertaking a pilot project to raise the groundwater level through artificial recharge for which a think tank committee has been constituted to implement the initiative.

The chief minister directed the department to undertake measures in those areas of the Karak district where the water has been contaminated due to radioactive ores which is causing serious health hazards for the local population.

He stated that complete study into the issue should be conducted and all relevant stakeholders consulted to come up with a solution.

Mahmood Khan said the developmental schemes for water supply will be included in the next Annual Development Plan for the areas facing water shortage.