2 lac water meters for Lahore included in budget, LHC told

LAHORE: The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday that the installation of 200,000 water meters has been proposed in the upcoming annual budget.

The development came during a hearing on a case related to the prevention of smog and environmental pollution. WASA’s lawyer submitted a detailed report regarding the water meter initiative.

According to the report, a summary has been sent for the inclusion of the water meters in the next year budget. Additionally, WASA will procure 1,000 meters using its own resources, which will be installed in the first phase, beginning with posh areas of the city.

Justice Shahid Karim remarked that installing water meters would raise public awareness about water usage and help prevent wastage.

The court was also informed that WASA plans to construct rainwater storage tanks with a capacity of 24 million gallons. These tanks will help replenishing the groundwater table.

During the hearing, the LHC ordered authorities to disconnect electricity connections of farmers who continue to burn crop residues, emphasizing the need to make them understand the seriousness of the issue.

Earlier, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a report detailing the impact of recent rain, strong winds, and hailstorms across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, ARY News reported.

According to the report, three people lost their lives, and nine others were injured due to the severe weather conditions.

The report confirmed that two of the three individuals killed in KP were women. The incidents occurred in multiple districts, including Swabi, Peshawar, Shangla, Swat, and Haripur.

In Peshawar, the PDMA reported that 16 houses sustained partial damage due to the heavy rainfall and strong winds, further compounding the challenges faced by residents in the affected areas.