What happened
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday, 6 August 2026, rejected an initial proposal to impose charges on bottled drinking water, saying access to safe drinking water was a fundamental right of every citizen and that the provincial government would keep providing it as a public service, particularly where potable water remains unavailable.
“Wherever clean drinking water is not available, bottled water will be delivered under all circumstances as provision of clean drinking water at people’s doorsteps remains the commitment of the Punjab government,” she said.
She was speaking while chairing a special meeting on the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority, where she reviewed progress on the ongoing bottled drinking water pilot project and directed that daily progress reports be submitted for the four participating districts.
Water plans
The meeting was told that construction of 864 water filtration plants had begun across various districts of Punjab, while work on an additional 1,913 plants would begin shortly. Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities to complete 1,886 water filtration plant projects across the province at the earliest to expand access to safe drinking water.
Under the pilot project, 10,000 bottles of 19-litre clean drinking water are being supplied free of charge in four districts. The meeting reviewed proposals to establish 670 bottled drinking water plants across Punjab — 335 with a production capacity of 5,000 litres each and 335 producing 10,000 litres each — as well as 4,020 distribution points for bottled water.
Officials told the meeting that 860 bottles are being supplied daily in Khushab, 780 in Rahim Yar Khan, 1,500 to remote areas of Koh-e-Suleman in Dera Ghazi Khan and 2,780 in remote areas of Bahawalpur. The chief minister directed that the number of trucks transporting clean drinking water be increased to ensure uninterrupted supply.
She also instructed the deputy commissioners of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Khushab to obtain public feedback on the initiative and to assess the daily demand for clean drinking water in their districts.
Why it matters
The programme is meant to reach households where safe water is not available, and the chief minister framed it as a matter of public health and dignity rather than a paid service. “Clean drinking water is not merely a public facility; it is a firm guarantee of the people’s health, comfort and dignity,” she said.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited sources, which were reviewed on 6 August 2026.
- Pakistan Today — "CM Maryam rejects bottled water charges, vows free safe drinking water for every citizen"6 August 2026 · The rejection of bottled water charges, the filtration plant figures and the free pilot deliveries in four districts.
- 24NewsHD — "Punjab CM rejects proposal to impose charges on bottled drinking water"6 August 2026 · The Punjab Saaf Pani Authority meeting, the 670 planned bottling plants and the daily supply figures.
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