Punjab Prepares Strict Legislation to Prevent Children Falling into Manholes

By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE — Punjab’s Housing Minister Bilal Yasin on Thursday chaired a key meeting at the Civil Secretariat, focusing on departmental performance, development plans for the new year, and the introduction of strict legislation to prevent incidents of children falling into manholes and similar accidents.
During the meeting, Secretary Housing Noor-ul-Amin Mengal briefed participants on the department’s annual performance and outlined steps for the upcoming year. He also highlighted preparations for comprehensive legal measures aimed at safeguarding children and minimizing preventable accidents across the province. Recommendations were reviewed to ensure tehsil-level surveys and monitoring within 15 days by the Deputy Commissioners of all districts.
Minister Bilal Yasin praised the provincial housing initiative “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar”, calling it the “best scheme in the country’s history.” He noted that 125,000 families have benefited from interest-free loans under the program during the past year, with 60,000 houses completed and 65,000 under construction. He projected that the number of completed houses will exceed 100,000 within two months.
The minister further stated that the formation of WASAs has been completed in all districts of Punjab and these bodies will be fully equipped with modern machinery. Under the Punjab Development Plan, drainage systems in all districts will be made fully operational, he added.
For the beautification of cities, funds will soon be allocated to Horticulture Authorities in 21 districts, aiming to enhance urban landscapes and public spaces.
The meeting was attended by DG WASA Punjab, DG PHA, MD WASA Lahore, and other senior departmental officers.