Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times): Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD), Khawaja Farooq Ahmad Monday affirmed the commitment of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to earmark colossa funds for water and sanitation sector to safeguard public health against water borne diseases.
He was speaking to citizens and officials during an inspection visit, along with the officials of the LG&RD department and Municipal Corporation, to some of the water filtration plants in different neighbourhoods of the State metropolis.
Earlier, officials gave him a briefing on the functioning, capacity and technology of filtration plants as well as their operation and maintenance issues.
Around 150 water filtration plants were installed in 10 AJK districts under ‘Clean Drinking Water for All’ (CDWA) project that was launched in 2010-11 with the financial assistance of the federal government, said project director Babar Hussain Minhas.
Since almost all installed plants had completed their design life period, one-time full operation and maintenance cost coupled with replacement of consumable items was a must to ensure continuity in supply of safe and clean drinking water from these plants to the beneficiary communities, he added.
Appreciating the benefits, residents in different neighbourhoods maintained that they were consuming filtered water for drinking purposes from these plants ever since their establishment, instead of the tap or spring water.
However, they said, they felt that apparent shortage of funds was hampering proper as well as regular upkeep of some, if not all, of the plants.
On this, the LG&RD minister said that provision of clean drinking water to the rural and urban communities was a priority of the PTI government and it would leave no stone unturned in this regard.
Quoting a recent study by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, he said more than 70 percent of drinking water sources in Muzaffarabad, mostly the natural springs, were bacteriologically contaminated.
After the 2005 earthquake, he added, the contamination problem had multiplied for a number of reasons which eventually warranted special steps by the government to ensure provision of safe and clean drinking water to all citizens without any discrimination.
“There is no denying the fact that installation of filtration plants at common places is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent water borne diseases. It is why we are determined to improve the quality of life by reducing incidence of death and illness caused by water borne diseases through provision of adequate quantities of safe drinking water,” he maintained.
The minister directed the officials to ensure proper maintenance and upgradation of all filter plants for being a source of free and quality water to people from all income groups.
“I will personally ensure availability of funds for continuity of this vital pro-poor project,” he vowed.
In response to a question by the citizens, Mr Ahmad made it clear that the government was also committed to achieving all targets of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly fixed for water, sanitation, solid waste management and cleanliness.
Lately the AJK government had also constituted a cabinet committee to work out modalities for new potential projects under the Rs 500 billion special package announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan for AJK’s development, he said.