F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan lauded Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar for implementing clean, green Pakistan initiative and its commitment to keep Peshawar clean.
He said that WSSP was on right direction and promised full support in legalization of illegal connections as well as cleanliness operation. Addressing participants of Clean and Green Peshawar event organized by Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar in collaboration with Zalmi Foundation and UNICEF.
The chief minister launched WSSP Youth Ambassador Programme and urged youth the to register themselves with WSSP and fulfill their responsibilities. Later addressing the gathering, the chief minister announced to compensate traders who have suffered losses due to construction work on Bus Rapid Transit.
“We will definitely solve your genuine complaints and hear your positive criticism,” he assured traders’ union who were invited to the event. He announced a crackdown against plastic bags and asked traders to cooperate with teams to curb use of non-biodegradable plastic bags that was worst environmental hazard. He said that action will also be taken against contaminated milk sellers as well as packed milk.
Mehmood Khan said that the government will distribute ‘Sehat Insaf Card’ throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He called criticism on BRT baseless and said people will appreciate the government once the project is inaugurated, adding that BRT is still a flagship project of PTI.
“Unfortunately, anti-PTI elements have been raising fingers on BRT as they did on Billion Tree Tsunami but we will shut their mouth once it gets completed,” he said. He also challenged those who alleged corruption in Billion Tree Tsunami to come and prove embezzlement, he himself would support them.
The chief minister lauded WSSP for its services and said that it was going in right direction, promising full support in revenue generation, legalization of illegal water connections. Promising to implement Prime Minister Imran Khan vision of Clean and Green Pakistan, he said that more trees would be planted.
Earlier, chief executive WSSP said that 60,000 illegal connections have been identified that will be brought under revenue net. “WSSP has recovered Rs60 million in just two-and-a-half months and will make it financially self-sustainable,” he said, adding that an MoU has been signed with University of Peshawar for categorization of waste to assess its effectiveness for energy generation.
Zafar said that WSSP carry out water and sanitation operation through modern and cost-effective machinery. “It is a fact that WSSP cannot clean or keep Peshawar clean unless its residents come forward,” he said and called Youth Ambassador Programme an initiative to involve the real stakeholders in cleanliness of the city.
Chief Executive Officer WSSP Syed Zafar Ali Shah said that youth were future of the country and aim of the ambassador programme was to encourage them to come forward and own the city. “Our youth are agents of change, who can bring a positive change by playing their due to role in keeping Peshawar clean and green,” he said.
He said that those who have registered themselves as WSSP volunteers will have the chance to meet the chief minister in person during launch of the programme.
