LAHORE, Mar 9 (APP): The Punjab Government is set to launch a pilot rural sanitation programme in 1,000 villages of 107 union councils of the province by the last week of April, under the Clean and Green Pakistan Initiative of the government.
During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan to review progress on Clean and Green Pakistan drive here, it was told that the Punjab Chief Minister would also inaugurate the Sanitation Week on March 18, which would be observed across the province.
It was told that around 111,254 acres of land had so far been retrieved from illegal possession. The performance of the staffers in solid waste management companies was being monitored and services of professional people had been hired.
In his remarks, the prime minister said there was no dearth of manpower in the country but there was a need to encourage the hard working people and act against those failing to deliver.
The meeting was told that Rs 174.50 million had been recovered from ghost employees.
The meeting was told that under the Plant for Punjab drive to be launched by the chief minister and advisor on climate change, one million saplings would be planted. During the federal government’s spring tree plantation campaign, the Punjab province had achieved 47 percent targets and 2,000 acres of forest land had also been recovered from the illegal occupation.
The prime minister was also briefed on the steps taken to curb the air and water pollution, particularly the one caused by the brick kilns.
The prime minister stressed the need for creating awareness on environmental pollution. He said it had been a proven fact that the environmental pollution shortened the life expectancy.
“We have to secure the future of our current and future generation,” the prime minister remarked.
Source: VNS Lahore
