ISLAMABAD: Water provided in the Parliament House and Parliament Lodges has been declared clean and in accordance with the standards of hygiene, according to a report of Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).

The investigation was ordered by Deputy Speaker National Assembly Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah after taking notice of a report about hazardous water being supplied to Parliament House and Parliament Lodges.

The PCRWR, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, conducted tests in an authorised laboratory. According to the report, no harmful ingredients were found in the water and that drinking water provided to MPs and staff members in Parliament House and Parliament Lodges was uncontaminated and safe.

A statement issued here said that a previous report of the PCRWR had stated that harmful ingredients were found in the water supplied to Parliament House and Lodges.

Taking notice of the report, the deputy speaker had directed to send water samples from Parliament House and Lodges for testing. “Any negligence in the matter of health will not be tolerated. There will be no compromise on the health of MPs and staff,” he had said.

Appropriate and standard operating procedures (SOPs) should be formulated for timely cleaning of water tanks in Parliament Lodges and Parliament House, he said. He directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to ensure all precautionary measures in future. Every three months water samples should be sent to PCRWR for testing, he added.

He also emphasised to take measures to avoid additional expenses in the case of testing water samples. Water samples should be tested from PCRWR instead of a third party source, he added.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2024