Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (WSSP), Peshawar has launched campaign for regularization of illegal water connections and set December 15, 2016 as deadline for voluntarily regularization of such connections.

This was disclosed by Khan Zeb, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), WSSP-Peshawar while addressing the “Meet the Press Programme” organized under the auspices of Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) on Saturday at Peshawar Press Club.

He said that the WSSP staff is issuing notices for regularization of illegal connections in all four zones. After expiry of the deadline, action against the illegal connections would be taken under the concerned laws of the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which will include the imposition of penalty and disconnection of water supply.

The CEO WSSP said that the residents of Peshawar city are being supplied clean drinking water through 568 tube-wells and 175 burnt meters have been replaced, which has brought minimum decrease in the electricity bills of the company.

He said that 131 kilometer long old and rusted pipeline has been replaced in different wards of the city through installation of HDPE pipes. Similarly, he said that for the provision of clean drinking water the company has also installed 20 chlorinators.

He said that 340 tests of water have been conducted at the level of tube-wells and houses house through which the quality of water is being monitored. Furthermore, for the provision of clean drinking water to all residents of the city, 11 filtration plants installed under CDWA Project have been restored while 282-kilometer small and large nullah inside the city have been cleansed to ensure the smooth flow of the drainage water, he maintained.

Engineer Khan Zeb said that old machinery and vehicles for the lifting garbage have been repaired and the fleet of the company is increased with the induction of compactors and new vehicles while new waste bins and containers have also been installed.

Regarding future projects, he said that for disposing of garbage on scientific bases, the provincial government has released an amount of Rs 174 million for acquisition of land at Mariamzia. He said that the garbage will be used for manufacturing of fertilizer and electricity.

He said that Sewerage Treatment Plant will be restored with the financial assistance of the USAID while clean drinking water to the residents of Peshawar will be supplied from Munda, Jabba and Bara Dams under Greater Water Supply Scheme and rusted pipeline will replaced phase-wise.

Regarding cleansing of the city, he said that mechanical sweeping of the roads has been introduced and roads are also watched during night. He said that earlier 59% garbage was lifted, but during last two years, the ratio has been reached to 76% and efforts are continued for the achievement of the target of 100%.

He said that so far a total of 384,000 ton garbage has been lifted and disposed of while 832 permanent garbage heaps have also been removed from the city, which was more than 56000 ton. He said that 20.064 ton solid waste was collected during the door-to-door campaign.

To a question, regarding the initiating of the scheme on permanent basis, the CEO WSSP said that the company is looking for the hiring of the services of private sector for the purpose to manufacture fertilizer and as well as produce electricity.