Govt reaffirms commitment to climate-resilient water access

July 13, 2026 (MLN): The government has reaffirmed its commitment to building climate-resilient communities and ensuring access to safe drinking water for rural and climate-vulnerable populations, with the inauguration of a solarized water filtration plant in Sahiwal under a project aimed at strengthening climate resilience.

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah inaugurated the facility at Village Daad Baloch, Union Council Karyal-1, Sahiwal, under the Building Resilient Communities for Sustainable Development (BRCSD) Project, being implemented by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) through its partner organisation, Comprehensive Health and Education Forum (CHEF) International.

The ceremony was attended by Member Provincial Assembly Pir Wilayat Shah Khagga, CEO PPAF Nadir Gul Barech, CEO CHEF International Sohail Ayaz Khan, Dr Ahmad Khawar Shahzad, senior officials from both organisations, and members of the local community, said a press release issued.

Speaking as chief guest, the Minister said climate change was placing growing pressure on water resources, making climate-resilient infrastructure essential for public health, livelihoods and community resilience.

He said ensuring access to safe drinking water for rural and climate-vulnerable communities remained a priority of the government.

He appreciated PPAF's outreach across 150 districts and its impact on nearly 18m people, calling it a reflection of the organisation's commitment to empowering communities through sustainable initiatives.

He also commended PPAF's development interventions and flood response in Sahiwal, including relief assistance, healthcare services and livestock support.

The Minister said the newly inaugurated solarized water filtration plant would provide safe drinking water to around 550 households, benefiting more than 6,000 people in Village Daad Baloch.

He reaffirmed the government's commitment to expanding access to essential services and building climate-resilient communities in partnership with PPAF and other development partners.

Welcoming the guests, CEO PPAF Nadir Gul Barech said sustainable poverty alleviation began with empowered communities, highlighting PPAF's long-standing partnership with governments, development partners and communities to improve livelihoods, strengthen resilience and expand access to essential services.

He said PPAF had organised 2.8m households, completed over 35,000 community infrastructure projects, benefited nearly 18m people, and supported more than 302,000 ultra-poor households with productive assets.

In Punjab, he said, PPAF had completed over 9,050 community infrastructure projects benefiting 5.13m people.

On PPAF's work in Sahiwal specifically, Barech said the organisation had completed over 160 community infrastructure projects benefiting more than 81,000 people across 12,000 households, adding that the newly inaugurated plant reflected PPAF's continued commitment to safe drinking water and climate-resilient community development.

The solarized water filtration plant was set up under the Rs138m BRCSD Project, being implemented by CHEF International over two years.

The project involves strengthening 28 Village Organisations, developing 28 Village Development Plans, conducting community training, and installing 24 solarized water filtration plants benefiting 4,800 households (33,600 people) along with four reverse osmosis (RO) plants serving 1,200 households (3,600 people).

The Village Daad Baloch facility, built at a cost of Rs3.73m, comprises a 250-gallon-per-hour water filtration plant, a 150-foot bore, and a 5-kilowatt solar power system to ensure sustainable access to safe drinking water.

The Minister also performed the groundbreaking of another solarized water filtration plant at Village Gamber, Sahiwal, under the same project.

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