Maintenance Issues Plague South Punjab’s Filtration Plants

M Atif Ismail

Multan: Untreated industrial effluent, solid waste, excessive use of pesticides and chemicals, and the absence of water reservoirs have significantly contaminated groundwater in South Punjab over the years.

This pollution poses serious health risks and places a substantial financial burden on the region’s health system.

Despite various government initiatives to improve access to clean drinking water, such as installing filtration plants across cities and towns, the effectiveness of these plants remains questionable. Concerns about their maintenance, cleanliness, and overall functionality persist.

South Punjab, home to 34.7 million people according to the South Punjab Secretariat, faces significant challenges in accessing clean water.

The region’s 23% urban population, approximately 10% of the total population, still struggles with inadequate access to safe drinking water. The filtration plants, intended to provide clean water and prevent diseases like hepatitis, cholera, dysentery, and typhoid, are crucial for community health and hygiene.

Multan city, for example, has over 150 filtration plants installed by the government and various philanthropists to meet residents’ clean water needs.

However, many citizens report issues with the plants, including inefficiencies, delayed filter replacements, cleanliness concerns, and prolonged periods of disuse.

Salman Amjid, a resident of Shujabad Chowk, highlighted issues such as improper maintenance, insufficient funding, and a lack of enforceable maintenance protocols. He noted that many communities do not fully utilize these plants, leading to inefficiencies.

Muhammad Ramzan from Vehari pointed out that the lack of community engagement often hampers the functioning of these facilities. For instance, a filtration plant in Pipli village was never activated due to insufficient local participation and the inability of residents to cover electricity costs.

In some areas, however, successful operation of filtration plants has been achieved where community members contribute to covering the financial burdens of maintenance and electricity bills. Despite appeals to remove taxes from these bills, the financial strain remains a significant challenge for many communities.

Brig (Retd) Babar Ala Uddin, Chairperson of the Chief Minister’s Directorate for Evaluation, Feedback, Inspection, and Monitoring (DEFIM), assured that the Water and Sanitation Authority is actively monitoring and maintaining the plants.

“We regularly oversee their functioning, ensure timely filter replacements, and address cleanliness issues,” he said. “However, the success of these projects depends on a shared responsibility between authorities and communities. While we fulfill our duties, communities must also engage to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives.”

In this situation some citizens have demanded a structured maintenance program, funded and overseen by the government to ensure that all filtration plants are regularly serviced.

The program should include timely replacement of filters, routine checks on water quality and immediate repairs of any damaged components. Regular monitoring and reporting should also be made mandatory, with a clear accountability mechanism to ensure that maintenance is not neglected.

As contaminated water whether it is ground or surface water, results in common and chronic diseases, the installation of new filtration plants and proper maintenance of already installed facilities, need an urgent intervention of the government departments, philanthropists and the local communities.

Since, it is a shared responsibility there is also need for raising awareness among masses and educate them about their responsibilities they owe for sustenance of such projects.

Installation of these plants is a positive step but a comprehensive policy was required for plants sustenance, proper and on-time maintenance, community ownership and affordability to ensure provision of clean drinking water to citizens across the board.