Erra to install rainwater harvesting system in AJK, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) will install rainwater harvesting system at thousands of earthquake affected public sector buildings in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Director General Planning of ERRA Brigadier Pervez H Niazi told the participants of a workshop organised by BBC and LEAD Pakistan on climate change that it would the biggest ever project in the country where the private and public sector buildings will have rainwater harvesting system.
"It is the biggest rainwater harvesting project in the country. We are constructing 40,000 houses and over 5,000 schools with this system," he stated. He said the housing sector is the biggest one and "if we install this system at a 5 marla house, it may conserve five times more water than the needs of a family."
He said the ERRA was a climate change sensitive organization and as far as the reconstruction and the rehabilitation in AJK was concerned, environment was an important factor in its activities. Pervez mentioned to massive environmental challenges in the post-quake scenario like disposal of debris, landslides, deforestation, water contamination and hygiene and sanitation.
Explaining the initiatives, he referred to the construction of 4001 water supply schemes, solid waste management system in 22 towns, 623 sanitation schemes, drainage, street pavement, public toilets, filth depots, landfill sites, water management and water quality improvement schemes. He also mentioned to the establishment of 17 water quality testing laboratories, debris recycling, watershed management, stabilisation of slopes, reforestation and enforcement of EPI guidelines. Dilating upon the measures being taken to address the water availability and water quality issues, he stated that the water conservation was the main priority to fight climate change effects.