ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday launched a nationwide “clean water initiative” to provide safe drinking water to all under the Khushal Pakistan Programme. Initially every union council will have at least one community treatment plant to serve the residents of a particular area.

The government will install pilot plants all across the country and the Ministry of Science and Technology will provide laboratory facilities.

The prime minister said these activities will be coordinated with the provincial and district governments while the Ministry of Science and Technology will conduct quarterly water quality testing to ensure supply of clean water to the people.

A meeting was held here to finalize the scheme which was presided over by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and it was attended by Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim, NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani, Minister of State for Environment Malik Amin Aslam, deputy chairman of Planning Commission, secretary finance, secretary environment and other senior officers.

The prime minister said water-borne diseases “are one of the major hazards” for public health.

He said the government was committed to providing safe drinking water to all by 2007 and this programme was among the top priorities of the government.

He said coordination between various departments of federal, provincial and local governments will be increased to expedite execution of the programme.

He said provincial governments will establish project implementation units in the offices of all the chief ministers and designate focal points to coordinate and expedite the programme in their provinces.

Mr Aziz was informed that under the programme, 6,035 purification plants costing approximately Rs8 billion will be installed, one in each union council.

Under Phase-I of the project, Rs495 million have been allocated by the federal government to set up 445 treatment plants. The project PC-I for Phase-II is being finalized.

So far 535 MOUs have been received and technical survey for 149 has been conducted and 30 plants have been completed, the meeting was told.

The prime minister directed that steps be taken to implement the project on a faster pace.—APP