KP Water Resources Commission starts functioning

PESHAWAR: The commission set up by the KP government for the protection, preservation and effective management of water resources has started functioning.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired the first meeting of the Water Resources Commission here on Wednesday, said a handout, adding the first meeting of the commission coincided with World Water Week 2021.

Besides provincial cabinet members Taimur Saleem Jhagara, Mohibullah Khan, Kamran Bangash, Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz and administrative secretaries of the relevant departments attended the meeting.

The KP has thus become the first-ever province of the country to have its own Water Resources Commission.

The 21 member commission has been constituted under KP Water Act 2020, and is headed by the chief minister. It shall meet at least once every six months.

Other members include relevant provincial ministers, chief secretary, administrative secretaries concerned and experts from the private sector.

The commission shall take all such policy decisions for the purpose of conserving, redistributing and augmenting the water resources in the province, allocating these resources for different purposes and securing the proper use of water resources in the province.

While briefing the meeting about different aspects of the Water Resources Commission, It was told that KP Water Regulatory Authority has also been established for the implementation of policy decisions of the commission and to regulate all the matters related to water resources.

The authority will work as a working group of the commission for policy formulation.

The KP government has also designed an Integrated Water Resource Management Plan which focuses on social, economic, environmental and technical aspects for the management of water resources.

Similarly, the Rivers Protection Act has been enacted in order to protect the water resources and to protect the rivers from pollution.

The forum was informed that framing of a number of bylaws and regulations under Water Act, 2020 was in progress and necessary amendments have been made in the rules of business of all the departments concerned to identify and assign responsibilities to the relevant departments with regard to better and efficient management of water resources.

The participants were briefed about the current situation of water in the province, climate change, importance of water resources in socio-economic development and other matters related to water commission.

The forum underlined the need to have a comprehensive strategy to ensure result-oriented steps to ensure water preservation.

The chief minister termed the constitution of the Water Resources Commission as a major achievement of the KP government and said that the provincial government had taken yet another lead towards good governance strategy.

He hoped the commission would prove to be a milestone in the preservation of water resources in accordance with the National Water Policy.

The chief minister urged the officials to ensure strict implementation of the policies devised under the water act and commission.

He directed them to ensure consultation with all the stakeholders and experts in formulating policies to this effect.