ISLAMABAD, Jan 6: The government is considering a project to install 235 water purification plants in different parts of the country costing Rs180 million, an official source told Dawn.

The environment ministry has already forwarded a feasibility report of the project to the Planning Commission for approval. Out of 235 plants, the source said, 175 purification plants would be installed in public places, while 60 plants would be installed in different government schools. The provincial and the local governments would identify places for installation of these plants.

If approved, 12 plants would be installed in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) out of which nine would be installed in public places, while three would be installed in public schools.

Similarly, 80 plants would be installed in Punjab, 54 in Sindh, 31 in NWFP, 28 in Balochistan, 12 in Northern Areas, 12 in Azad Kashmir and 6 in FATA. Only those schools would be provided with a purification plant, which are actively involved in a tree plantation campaign during the past three years in addition to their engagement in environmental activities like declamation contests, poster competitions, essay writings and tableaus.

The plant would be designed with a capacity of 2,000 gallons per hour and would provide water to 20,000 people if operated eight-hour a day. In Pakistan about three million people suffer with water- borne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, giardiasis, cryposporidiosis and guinea worm infections, which are responsible for 40 per cent deaths.

The proposed project would be undertaken in two phases. In the first phase, 10 water purification plants would be provided to the residents of five selected cities after identifying the source of water supply, which either could be tube well operated by city/Tehsil government or any existing overhead tank.