Key Takeaways
- Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has rejected a proposal to charge people for bottled drinking water.
- The government is distributing 10,000 bottles of 19-litre drinking water free in four districts as part of a pilot project.
- Work is underway on 864 water filtration plants with another 1,913 set to begin soon.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has firmly rejected the proposal to charge people for bottled drinking water under the province’s clean drinking water initiative. During a meeting on the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority, she directed officials to provide daily updates on a pilot project distributing bottled drinking water in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khushab, and Dera Ghazi Khan.
Maryam Nawaz also instructed deputy commissioners in these districts to collect public feedback on the availability and quality of drinking water and assess daily water requirements. The meeting reviewed progress on 864 water filtration plants that are currently under construction, with another 1,913 set to begin soon.
Under the pilot project, the government is distributing 10,000 bottles of 19-litre drinking water free of charge in four districts. The distribution points include Khushab (860 bottles), Rahim Yar Khan (780 bottles), remote areas of Koh-e-Suleman in Dera Ghazi Khan (1,500 bottles), and remote areas of Bahawalpur (2,780 bottles).
The meeting also reviewed a proposal to establish 670 bottled water plants across Punjab. Half of these plants will produce 5,000 litres of drinking water daily, while the remaining plants will have a daily production capacity of 10,000 litres. Officials plan to establish 4,020 distribution points across the province.
Maryam Nawaz directed authorities to complete 1,886 water filtration projects as early as possible to ensure access to clean drinking water for all residents in Punjab.
