By our correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed officials to compile and verify accurate data on water requirements across the province, with population figures to be used as the basis for planning and supply.
She issued the instructions while chairing a meeting in Lahore on Monday to review projects aimed at improving access to safe drinking water. The meeting examined water supply schemes in Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Rajanpur, Faisalabad, Murree and Attock.
Maryam said every household in Punjab should have access to safe drinking water and ordered authorities to give the highest priority to areas facing severe shortages. She stressed that decisions on water supply needed to be based on reliable data.
Officials were directed to assess requirements according to population and verify the information before planning new schemes or expanding existing supplies. She also ordered immediate steps to address the shortage in Rajanpur.
The chief minister directed the authorities to provide 21 water bowsers to the district to ensure that residents facing shortages received an immediate supply. Arrangements were also ordered for water tanks in Murree. The directive was aimed at strengthening water availability in areas where local supplies were under pressure.
The meeting also approved a pilot project to provide drinking water to Chak Jhumra and suburban areas of Faisalabad. The scheme was expected to help assess the effectiveness of a targeted approach before similar projects were considered for other areas.
Maryam said the provision of clean drinking water was a basic public service and should not be limited by a person’s location. She directed officials to focus first on communities where shortages were most acute.
