RAWALPINDI: Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has announced that it would be taking several measures to ensure provision of clean drinking water to citizens, including repairing and renovating mini-filtration plants across the city, adding chlorine to improve water quality and replacing filters in purification plants on time.

This was stated by acting managing director of Wasa Mohammad Salim Ashraf at a function held in connection with World Water Day.

Mr Ashraf said every year the United Nations worked on different themes to highlight the importance of water, and this year’s theme was ‘Water for Peace’.

The aim of this theme is to ensure equal distribution of water throughout the world and provision of clean drinking water to all people. The unfair distribution of water is causing conflicts around the world, which could be a precursor to major wars.

Several corrective measures to be taken to improve water quality, maintain regular supply

“Efforts need to be intensified. It is the need of the hour to make every citizen aware of the importance of water because in the coming times there will be wars over distribution of water,” he said.

The Wasa official said the agency was trying to provide clean drinking water to the citizens of Rawalpindi.

“Work has been started on mega projects, including supply from Chahan Dam, provision of an additional five million gallons of water per day from Rawal Dam and the uninterrupted supply of water to six union councils of Khayaban-i-Sir Syed,” he said.

“Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing funds for these projects. Along with this, a rain harvesting system is being installed on 30 different buildings in the city with the support of UN-HABITAT to secure rainwater. Under the project, rainwater will be collected from roofs in underground tanks, and this water would be used for horticulture,” he said.

He also appealed to citizens to cooperate with Wasa by paying their water and sewerage bills on time, saying that the agency had improved the quality of water and was taking measures to eliminate leakages in the underground system.

He urged the officials to further improve service delivery to enable uninterrupted water supply during Ramazan, adding that supply of clean drinking water would be ensured through mini-filtration plants during Sehr and Iftar hours. He further said steps were being taken to immediately repair faulty tubewells.

Gilgit

International Forest Day and World Water Day were celebrated in Dawoodabad, Ishkoman, in Ghizer district on Friday.

An event was jointly organised by WWF-Pakistan, the Ismaili Civic Initiative and the Forest Department Ghizer at the Girls High School Dawoodabad Ishkoman.

The event aimed to raise awareness about forests and woodlands, which were a source of livelihood for many.

Speaking on the occasion, convener for the Ismaili Civic Initiative Punial-Ishkoman, Tanzila Bibi, emphasised on pursuing a collaborative approach to overcome environmental challenges.

Ismaili Regional Council for Punial-Ishkoman President Prof Dadu Khan Sabir emphasised the need for students to play their role in a better mountain ecosystem and promote indigenous knowledge along with technology for conservation of forests and water.

Coordinator Communications, WWF-Pakistan, Nisar Ahmed said the WWF-Pakistan, with the support of the FCDO, was reaching out to far-flung areas in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for awareness and community mobilisation to save natural resources.

Students later presented eco-friendly bags with key messages in the session and requested that the community play their role in eco-tourism. In the end, a plantation drive was also organised.

Taxila

A function was organised by the Government Graduate College on Friday to mark International Day of Forests.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Attock Rao Atif Raza stressed on the slogan ‘Har bashar-do darkhat’ (every citizen - two trees).

He said this year, 401,000 saplings would be planted in this year’s spring tree plantation campaign in Attock.

He said out of the total number of saplings, 50,000 would be planted in government forests, 11,000 in other government institutions, 190,000 in defence departments and 150,000 saplings in private institutions.

He further said 102,000 saplings would be planted in Attock tehsil, 82,000 in Fatehjang, 42,000 in Pindigheb, 10,000 in Jand and 165,000 in Hassanabdal.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2024