ISLAMABAD:Draft National Water Policy will be presented in next Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting after incorporating suggestions from provinces for its final approval.
The decision was taken during a CCI meeting held in Islamabad on Tuesday with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the chair.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz briefed the meeting in detail about the draft National Water Policy.
It was emphasized that Pakistan is rapidly becoming a water-scarce country and obligations towards Sustainable Development Goals require adoption of Integrated Water Resource Management. Population growth and water demands for various sectors of the economy necessitate urgent measures to enhance storage capacity.
The draft NWP includes strategic initiatives and is in line with National Climate Change Policy 2012.
It was informed that the draft NWP includes establishment of administrative bodies at the federal and provincial levels, including National Water Council, Provincial Water Authorities to improve coordination regarding water resource management.
There was a consensus amongst the participants on the need to adopt the National Water Policy.
Secretary Statistics Division presented an update on CCI’s earlier decision of carrying out a validation exercise of Census results 2017.
The meeting reiterated that five percent validation exercise shall be undertaken through a third party as per the decision taken in CCI’s meeting held on 24th November last year.
Finance Secretary gave a detailed briefing on various subsidies being given by the Federal Government on different commodities including subsidy being provided to PASSCO for maintaining strategic wheat reserves, subsidy on essential items through Utility Stores Corporation, Ramzan Relief Package and support for export of wheat and sugar.
Pakistan Alliance for Mathematics and Science also gave a presentation on way forward for promoting science and mathematics education in the country.
Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha attended the meeting.
Earlier, the chief ministers also called on the Prime Minister. APP/AFP