LAHORE: In order to overcome water shortage in the province, the Punjab government has constituted a Provincial Water Conservation Committee under the convenorship of Punjab chief secretary.
Housing Department secretary is the secretary of the committee whereas administrative secretaries of irrigation, local government, industries, cooperatives, mines and minerals and environment are its members. The committee will oversee the measures for water conservation in the province and prepare recommendations for it.
The first meeting of the committee, presided over by Punjab Chief Secretary Akbar Durrani was held at the Civil Secretariat here on Monday. Matters related to wastage of clean water at service stations and regulating the excessive use of underground water by housing societies were discussed in the meeting.
The committee constituted different subcommittees to prepare proposals, including making rainwater useable, saving water at mosques, shrines and other religious places, determining the water tariff and installation of water treatment plants at industrial units.
Addressing the meeting, the chief secretary said that all resources would be utilised to conserve water in the province. He said that a huge quantity of clean water was wasted due to its irrational use, adding that there was a need to enhance awareness among people regarding water conservation.
He also directed that a campaign be launched to enhance awareness about the issue and ordered the authorities concerned to make service stations bound to install recycling plants to save water, besides stopping issuance of NOCs for new service stations.
