Abdul Khaliq Qureshi Abbottabad
Time is running fast to plan for the provision of clean drinking water as country has to face worst type of water crisis if quick action has not taken says experts in a 19th steering committee meeting of POWN (Pakistan Water Operators Network) here on Saturday.
Meeting was hosted by PWON and WASSCA Abbottabad at local hotel which was attended by more than 40 experts from all over the country including Chief Executives of Water and Sanitation Services companies from KP, Punjab and Baluchistan.
Ali Khan Jadoon MNA & chairman Standing Committee of National Assembly on IT was chief guest and he in his concluding remarks has asked the holding of nationwide public awareness campaign about the use and wastage of water by the public, he stressed upon the use of IT in the water distribution system which will enable then companies of plan effectively for the control of use of water is our water resources are depleting day by day.
Earlier 19th Steering Committee meeting was held chaired by Syed Zahid Aziz which was attended by the members from all over the country with representatives of UNICEF and other organizations.
Chairman WASSCA Abbottabad Sarfraz Khan Rtd DIG welcomed the participants and thanked the PWON management for choosing Abbottabad as host.
Akram Zaki Chief Executive Abbottabad briefed the participants about the role of WASSCA in Abbottabad through documentary and told that first Gravity Water Flow Scheme is being operated at Abbottabad which was completed by the JICA and funds were provided by the government of Japan and expansion project is planned and is final sage after its execution, the water problem of Abbottabad city will be fulfilled for the next 40 yrs.
Syed Zahid Aziz MD WASA Lahore & CE Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority Lahr, Tayab Deputy Director P & D WASA Lahr presented and shared their experience about the long term plan for the Lahore city and told that Water Zones will be established to monitor the use and supply of water with installations of Water Meters at all consumers, they also told they had reduced overhead charges of water supply by applying rational operations of Tube wells and had also used Counter Value funds provided by Japanese government.
CE WASA Peshawar in his detailed presentation with slides told that water and sanitation service is provided to 56 union councils which were added few days back by the KP government currently 5626 tub Welles are working which will be increased 720 and water testing service is done through mobile labs at source and at end consumers.
He told that solarization of Tube Welles is also on the card which will reduce the electricity cost and also informed about the some of difficulties like illegal water connections, power tariff etc.
He also added that plan has been made to use the water from Mohammand Dam, Bara River, Warsk Dam and Jabba dam and pin hope that Peshawar future demands for the forty years will be meet and will also put work on four canals passing from the city which are currently used as garbage dumps.
