ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel of Pakistan’s lower house yesterday was told that 99 percent of Balochistan’s population was deprived of clean drinking water.
“We conducted a study in which 12,000 samples were collected from the province and it has been found that 99 percent drinking water in Balochistan is not safe for drinking,” said Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology Kamran Ali Qureshi. The revelation came during a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology to review the performance of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Recourses (PCRWR) and objectives achieved during the last five years.
According to PCRWR’s report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is ranked second, where 93 percent of water samples in the province were found contaminated and unsafe for human consumption.
Factories pose health threats
LAHORE: Industrial units, mainly steel factories, in residential areas of the provincial metropolis continue causing health problems for the residents of the areas and their own workforce in violation of the laws.
In various surveys, the City District Government of Lahore and other departments have already raised serious objections to the existence of such factories, recommending their removal in phases. However, no practical steps have been taken to implement recommendations, allowing the factories to continue affecting public health.
In a survey, most of informal sector’s factories, mainly steel units are working in the north of the city in New Saggian, Rashidpura, Daroghawala, Badami Bagh, Salamatpura and some other residential localities.
Govt to initiate 7,000MW plans
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will initiate 7,000MW projects in the ongoing year with the help of China, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, minister for water and power, said yesterday. He said the power houses will come online by 2017. Subsequently, he added, the menace of crippling load shedding will be erased.
Talking to the media persons, the minister said the areas where electricity theft is at the higher side will be exposed to 100 percent load shedding. The minister admitted his failure to effectively combat the power theft.
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