Clean drinking water for all projects: Planning, Development Division refused to release funds

Planning and Development Division has refused to release funds for the on-going Clean Drinking Water for All (CDWA) mega projects and directed the Ministry of Special Initiative to do away with them. High level sources in the Ministry of Special Initiative revealed to this scribe that to provide safe drinking water at federal and provincial levels, the project was conceived in January 2009.
After 18th Constitutional Amendment, Ministry of Special Initiative was transferred to provinces. Planning Division informed the Ministry as it was moved to provincial administration, more fund could not be released for execution of these projects.
Sources said that estimated cost of the project was projected at Rs 15.8 billion. According to PC-1, the Ministry of Special Initiatives was given task through federal project management unit to assist provincial government in implementation of CDWA. Initially, target of installation of 6,000 water filtration plants was planned in federal capital and provinces.
Sources further said that the federal government has spent Rs 7 billion on the project. The number of filtration plants, which have since been installed is 1139. In Punjab, 126 filtration plants have been installed out of 3458, Sindh only 353 plants installed against proposed 1129, Balochistan has 405 plants installed against 575, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 237 out of 1000 prescribed plants, Gilgit Baltistan 23 against 115 and FATA one.
This project was conceived after glaring revelation of the reports of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) which claims that rapid urbanisation, increased industrial activity and dependence of the agricultural sector on chemicals and fertilisers have led to water pollution. Deterioration in water quality and contamination of lakes, rivers and groundwater aquifers has, therefore, resulted in increased water borne diseases and negative impacts on human health.
It is estimated that around 40 percent of all reported diseases in Pakistan are attributed to poor water quality. As one indicator of the magnitude of the problem, it is estimated that 250,000 children in Pakistan die every year due to diarrheal diseases alone.
According to the Council's research, Pakistan's ranking in maintaining water quality standards is 80th out of 122 nations. Generally, water pressure is low in Pakistan supply systems. It is further estimated that water related diseases cause annual national income losses of $380-883 million - or approximately 0.6-1.44 percent of GDP.