Shahbaz sets up his tent office at Iqbal Park of Minar-e-Pakistan

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has set up his tent office at Iqbal Park of Minar-e-Pakistan to express solidarity with the citizens facing shortage of water due to worst loadshedding in Punjab. Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over a high level meeting with regard to provision of potable water to Laborites at his tent office. Senator Pervaiz Rashid, member’s national and provincial assembly, Secretary Housing, Secretary Finance, Commissioner and DCO Lahore, DG LDA, MD WASA and other concerned officers attended the meeting. Assembly members informed the Chief Minister about the availability of drinking water in their constituencies.  The meeting reviewed in detail the loadshedding and resultantly severe shortage of water.

Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab Province is facing worst loadshedding in the history and it has become difficult for the people to earn their livelihood. He said that due to scorching heat and in the absence of electricity it has become difficult for the people to sleep. The Chief Minister said that it would be serious joke with the masses to talk about loadshedding while sitting in air-conditioned offices in this grave situation. He said that as a representative of the masses it is his desire to share the feelings of the people so that they should realize that someone is sharing their problems. In this way they would also come to know that their leaders are making efforts for improving the situation. He reiterated that till such time the situation is improved, his political colleagues and officers will sit here. He directed that in order to meet the needs of water of the people, government resources as well as non-government resources should be utilized and the supply of water should be improved within twelve hours. He directed the officers to come out instead of sitting in their offices and resolve the problem of shortage of drinking water.

Shahbaz Sharif directed district administration and WASA officials that the tubewells should be kept functional for supplying water to the masses and the provision of water should be continued to the people through generators so that they should not face shortage of water due to loadshedding. He said that Punjab government had installed generators on tubewells with a sum of crore of rupees so that there should be no shortage of water due to loadshedding. He directed that besides evolving an organized system for providing clean dirnking water through water tankers in the areas facing shortage of water, people should also be motivated to use water economically.

On this occasion, Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that short and long term planning should be made for providing water to the citizens of provincial metropolis of more than 90 lakh population so that this problems could be solved on permanent basis. Secretary Housing and MD WASA informed the meeting about the availability of generator and tubewells. Later, while talking to the people facing loadshedding who visited his tent office, Shahbaz Sharif assured them that provincial government will continue to take steps for providing potable water to the people. He said that instructions have been issued to the district administration and WASA officials to utilize all available resources for supplying water to the people of those areas as are facing shortage of water. The Chief Minister said that he will himself visit various areas for reviewing the situation of availability of water to the people.