PM Imran to kick of  river clean-up drive this month

Pakistan’s federal government is planning to start river cleanliness drive as only one percent of river water remain drinkable.

According to the details, Prime Minister of Pakistan headed a higher-level meeting today (Tuesday) in Islamabad and directed to take all mandatory measures for cleaning rivers.

Attendants of the meeting were told that 99 percent of river water in Pakistan is highly contaminated and only 1 percent can be used for drinking purposes by a human.

Contaminated water is causing several viral diseases, e.g. diarrhea, allergies, digestive issues and most hazardous of them is cancer. People of Pakistan are vulnerable to these diseases due to toxic drinking water.

Polluted water is also effecting crops, wildlife, and life in the water. It also affects the ecology of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is optimistic to clean rivers – step ahead towards his vision of clean and green Pakistan. He has advised the federal government and the provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to take all measures for the clean-up process of rivers.

The meeting decided to create a policy for the process of river cleaning within two weeks and to start a cleaning drive this month.

Prime Minister said while addressing the high profile government officials that the campaign will be started from river Ravi – which is 720 km long one of the main tributary rivers in the Indus system.

Prime Minister will kick off the river cleaning campaign from Ravi and he gives clear directions that he wants to see the River – clean and healthy. He also directed to convert sewerage streams of Lahore into urban forests.  Industrialists will have to follow the policy for disposing of chemical waste.

Read More: PM Khan Launches Clean Green Pakistan Index

It is also decided in the meeting that urban garbage, plastic, and industrial wastage will not be dumped into the rivers, anymore.

It is pertinent to mention that the cleaning of rivers will also affect the national health index of Pakistan. Our crops will be safer than before and life under the water will be started restoring.

Indus river system of Pakistan is one of the biggest river systems in Asia with its 19th tributaries is also considered as the second most polluted river in Asia. Plastic pollution went into the Arabian Sea through the Indus River and cause climate change impacts on marine life.

Pakistan is a signatory of Sustainable development goals – set in 2015 and clean drinking water stands at 6^th position in the list of 17 global goals.