Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed her commitment to providing clean drinking water to every individual and every household in the province, and has launched one of the largest water supply projects in the history of Punjab.
In the first phase of the project, a pilot initiative will be launched to provide clean drinking water through pipelines in six districts across North, Central and South Punjab.
Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Rajanpur and Murree have been selected for the first phase, where residents will be provided with clean drinking water through pipeline networks.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed that low-income households be given priority under the project and that clean drinking water be supplied to areas that currently lack adequate access.
She has also ordered the immediate provision of drinking water through filtration plants, bottled water and water tankers in areas severely affected by water shortages and contamination.
The Chief Minister has sought immediate reports from the Deputy Commissioners of Rajanpur and Chakwal regarding the availability of water in their respective districts.
The meeting also reviewed a proposal to establish a public-private partnership to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project. Orders were also issued to operate government-owned bottled water plants at full capacity.
Maryam Nawaz appreciated the relevant teams for successfully delivering bottled water to remote and difficult-to-access areas of the Koh-e-Suleman region.
The Chief Minister directed the Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASAs), the Public Health Engineering Department, and the Deputy Commissioners of all districts to ensure the immediate and transparent completion of the project.
