F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The establishment of the state-of-the-art water monitoring Laboratories launched in as many as 35 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Islamabad. The project will constantly and timely check the quality of drinking water benefiting over 62 million people.
These laboratories are equipped with latest technology to ensure quick, accurate and hassle-free testing of contaminants such as arsenic, heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria through microbial testing in the drinking water thus enhancing the capacity of labs to test 16 mandatory water quality parameters and 18 optional parameters as per WHO guidelines. The mobile laboratories will play a vital role in testing the quality of water in far-flung areas and will also be used to respond to public health emergencies during natural disasters or spread of waterborne diseases.
With an assistance of $4.4 million from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) the project has been implemented in 35 district laboratories in Punjab, 8 divisional labs in KP and research and monitoring laboratories, PCRWR and Pak-EPA, in Islamabad.
The project includes significant upgrades to water-quality testing laboratories, encompassing the procurement and installation of advanced laboratory equipment, infrastructure enhancements to ensure a safe working environment, capacity-building initiatives for laboratory staff and the WASH Cell of the MoCC, the introduction of a Management Information System (MIS) for improved coordination, and the provision of 8 vehicles transformed into water-quality testing laboratories for the Government of KP and 1 vehicle for PCRWR.
The completion of the project was celebrated in a simple but impressive ceremony where former Chief Minister of KP Senator Muhammad Sabir Shah was the Chief Guest while Senator Ms. Keshoo Bai, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Park Ki Jun, Country Director KOICA Pakistan, Yeon Je Ho and senior officers of both Ministry of Climate Change besides others participated.
Officially titled as “Enhancing Water Quality Monitoring System to achieve SDG 6 in Islamabad, Punjab and KP” the project is a step forward to achieving the SDG-6.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan faces a significant challenge, with almost 44% of the population lacking access to safe drinking water. Acknowledging the fundamental right to clean and safe drinking water, the initial and vital step is monitoring its quality.
