LAHORE, Nov 6: The Punjab government will launch a ‘Clean Water Project’ to provide potable water to every home in the next five years.

Up to Rs10 billion will be spent on the project during the current financial year.

The programme will be piloted in six districts to be extended to other districts later on. Besides the provision of Wapda-generated electricity, the water plants could also be run on solar energy.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday.

He said the rural and urban areas with contaminated water would be provided the potable water at the earliest.

He ordered the hiring of competent consultants for the project and purchase of water filtration plants from the companies that offered after-sale service.

He said old water pipelines should be restored under a phased programme and a strategy should be evolved for treating polluted water of factories.

The chief minister said that a conference on clean drinking water should also be arranged in which all stakeholders should be invited.

He asked the Planning and Development Department chairman to take immediate measures for the capacity-building of government departments and inform him about the steps in 30 days.

uplift schemes: Establishment of a 60-bed hospital in Lahore was among the six development schemes approved by the Punjab government on Wednesday with an estimated cost of Rs5.8 billion.

The schemes were approved in the 16th meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party of 2013-14 fiscal year presided over by Punjab Planning and Development Board Chairman Irfan Elahi.

According to a spokesman, the approved development schemes included feasibility for the establishment of National Safari Park near Kallar Kahar in Chakwal district (PC-II) at a cost of Rs2 million; establishment of a 60-bed hospital at Sabzazar scheme in Lahore at a cost of Rs277.482 million; enhancing capacity of Shahdara Railway bridge and old GT Road bridge on Ravi in Lahore with a sum of Rs3.7 billion; construction of J-Head Spur and excavation of curette to streamline river flow away from left bank of River Indus near Aluwali Dhingana village and Doaba in Mianwali district at a cost of Rs357.922 million; widening and improvement of Gujranwala-Pasrur Road (Up to km No to 46) in Gujranwala and Sialkot districts (revised) with a sum of Rs1.1 billion and rehabilitation, widening and improvement of Khushab-Muzaffargarh Road (km No 179.73 to 207.72, length 26.89 km), in Jhang district at a cost of Rs346.959 million.