Monday, June 4, 2012

Pakistan: Government to Ensure Water Supply


Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that provincial government is fully aware of the problems of the people due to torturous loadshedding and besides provision of generators at tubewells for the uninterrupted supply of potable water, special attention is also being paid to the installation of new tubewells on emergency basis in the areas facing water shortage.

Presiding over a meeting regarding supply of water to the masses in his tent office at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday, the chief minister said arrangements had also been made for the supply of water through water tankers for meeting the daily needs of the people.

He said he was satisfied that government’s efforts to provide water to the citizens had yielded positive results. The government, he added, was endeavoring to evolve a comprehensive system for the smooth supply of water to the people of the provincial metropolis.
Secretary Housing informed about the emergent measures taken for the supply of drinking water to the people and implementation of the decisions of the last meetings. Elected representatives informed the Chief Minister about availability of water in their respective constituencies.

As the meeting was in progress the power went off due to loadshedding and the chief minister and other participants made use of hand-made fans to cool themselves off.
Shahbaz Sharif said provincial government was fully aware of the sufferings of the people due to loadshedding and that was why he had set up tent office at Minar-e-Pakistan to apprise himself of the problems and sentiments of the masses.

He directed that the special committee be set up under the chairmanship of Mian Marghoob Ahmad MNA should look into the matters including supply of water to the citizens and installation of generators at tubewells while the committee headed by Ch Shahbaz Ahmad MPA should take solid measures to address the complaints of the people. He further directed that the model of addressing public complaints should be replicated in other cities as well so that there should not be shortage of water in any area of the province.

The meeting was informed that complaint cells have been set up in the offices of sub-divisional officers of WASA to redress the grievances of the people regarding supply of water. The inquiry committee set up on the instructions of the Chief Minister Punjab regarding the foul smell in the water of the tubewell in Karim Park informed that the water of the tubewell installed in 2008 was declared unsuitable for human consumption. The CM directed that legal action should be initiated against the elements involved in this matter and the case be handed over to anti-corruption department.  He said that the purpose of holding the meeting in the tent office was to develop a perception about peoples’ problems who were suffering from sweltering heat and loadshedding. He said that he will not be content until the problem of supply of water to the people was completely resolved.

Later, addressing a meeting at his tent office regarding Lahore Ring Road project, the Chief Minister said that Lahore Ring Road would be at par with motorway with regard to its standard of construction and facilities. He directed that weigh bridges should also be set up at the Ring Road so that the overloaded vehicles should not damage the road.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Provincial Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Special Assistants, Members National and Provincial Assembly, Commissioner and District Coordination Officer Lahore, heads of development authorities and senior officers attended the meeting.

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