Fast work on sewage treatment plant decided

[Salman]

Fast work on sewage treatment plant decided

ISLAMABAD - A high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Commissioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada decided to install the sewage treatment plants in a shortest possible time in the catchments areas of Rawal Lake and CDA will immediately connect sewage water of Noor Pur Shahan with the already passing trunk line.

The chief commissioner while addressing the participants of meeting said that this meeting was being held in the context of high-level meeting held with the chair of Secretary, Cabinet Division recently to ensure the implementation of directives and order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding taking effective measures to remove pollutants from the Rawal Lake immediately and ensure provision of clean drinking water to the residents.

Director General PAK EPA Asif Shujah Khan, Member Engineering CDA Sanaullah Aman, DG Planning CDA Sarwar Sindhu, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmed and other senior officials of administration and WASA Rawalpindi attended the meeting. Chief Commissioner said that the purpose of meeting with all the stakeholders was to expedite the implementation plan for ensuring provision of clean drinking water to the residents.

Pirzada has also constituted a committee headed by DG Pak EPA, Asif Shujah Khan with members from ICTA, CDA and WASA to work out pollution load of catchments areas falling in Punjab and also pollution generated in ICT and CDA areas and submit their report for approval of the competent authority.

He also directed that the draft of PC-1 for action plan of ensuring Rawal Lake water pollution free should be further improved after survey of the committee for conducting sampling of water in catchments.

It was decided that Government of Punjab, ICT and CDA would also pool their resources according to the pollution load generated in the respective areas.

Member, Engineering CDA, Sanaullah also informed that CDA Board would hold a meeting on Thursday to approve the project for sewage treatment plant and laying of additional sewage lines to avoid any discharge of untreated waste into the Rawal Lake.

DG, PAK EPA, Asif Shujah Khan also informed that he along with MD WASA visited various points along Korang Nullah where pollution level were reportedly found higher and got re-sampling for laboratory test to investigate the on-ground situation.

The meeting also showed concern on the upstream development and decided to ensure that no housing society should be allowed without having sewage treatment facility.

Government of Punjab reiterated that they had already taken notice against poultry farms, restaurants, shops along the fresh water stream and more than 300 cases had been filed in the Environmental T