No borehole, tubewell to be drilled without hydrogeological, water quality study: Minister

Khyber Pak htunkhwa Minister for Public Health Engineering Fazal Shakoor Khan has directed that no borehole or tubewell be drilled anywhere in the province without first completing a hydrogeological and water-quality feasibility study through a certified or accredited agency.
The directives were issued in a meeting chaired by Minister for Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Fazal Shakoor Khan on Thursday, said a handout.
The meeting to review policy, administrative matters and reforms in the department, the statement said.
Secretary PHED Masood Younas, Additional Secretary, Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers attended the meeting, while Executive Engineers participated through video link.
The meeting took several important decisions to ensure strict compliance with the departmental mandate, effective monitoring of development schemes, and transparency in financial and administrative matters. Various proposals aimed at improving departmental performance and service delivery were also discussed.
The meeting was informed that no tendering process would be initiated without prior Administrative Approval. The procurement process would be conducted transparently in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KPPRA).
It was emphasized that tubewells should be used exclusively for drinking water purposes. The meeting also stressed that the installation of flow meters, groundwater recharge measures and rainwater harvesting systems should be incorporated into departmental schemes.
It was further decided that no borehole or tubewell would be drilled in any area without first completing a hydrogeological and water-quality feasibility study. The assessment would be conducted through a certified or accredited agency, and drilling would not be allowed without completion of the required technical assessment.
The Provincial Minister directed that no work falling outside the departmental mandate should be included in PHED schemes. He called upon officers to strictly adhere to the prescribed scope of work and departmental responsibilities.
The minister also directed officers to ensure their regular presence in the field, effective monitoring of development schemes and timely identification of non-functional schemes. He said decisions regarding the rehabilitation, upgradation or decommissioning of inactive schemes should be taken only after a proper technical assessment.
Fazal Shakoor Khan said the resources of PHED would be utilized solely for providing clean drinking water and improved sanitation facilities to the people. He made it clear that there would be no compromise on violations of rules, transparency, or the inclusion of works unrelated to the departmental mandate.