In a major step towards ensuring transparency and effective public service delivery, the Sindh Government has decided to introduce a real-time digital monitoring system for all Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Ultra Filtration (UF) plants installed across the province. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah. The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Public Health Engineering Muhammad Saleem Baloch, Additional Chief Secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Public Health Engineering Syed Aijaz Ali Shah, Secretary I&C Abid Saleem Qureshi, Additional Secretary PHE Muhammad Bux Jarwar, and engineers from the Public Health Engineering Department.
Secretary Public Health Engineering Syed Aijaz Ali Shah while briefing the meeting stated that Sindh has a total of 2,529 RO and UF water purification plants installed under the Public Health Engineering (O&M) Wing. The installed plants include 2,032 RO and 497 UF units. In the Sukkur region, 527 plants have been installed with 354 functional, marking a 67 percent operational rate. Notably, Shikarpur shows strong performance with 88 percent functionality, while Jacobabad lags with only 46 percent. The Shaheed Benazirabad region has 1,329 plants, but only 445 are functional, resulting in a 33 percent operational rate. Tharparkar, with the highest number of plants (832), has only 101 functional, indicating a 12 percent rate. In contrast, Mirpurkhas leads with 98 percent functionality. The Hyderabad region has 673 plants, of which 462 are functional, reflecting a 69 percent rate. Badin, Thatta, and Tando Muhammad Khan show good performance, while Jamshoro falls behind with only 30 out of 113 plants operational, a 27 percent rate.
The Chief Secretary Sindh directed that a digital monitoring mechanism be implemented immediately across the province to ensure the regular inspection and maintenance of the plants. The digital system will be integrated with real-time dashboards and GPS mapping to monitor water output, filtration performance, and maintenance needs. He emphasized that the revival of non-functional plants must be treated as a top priority, especially in areas such as Tharparkar and Jamshoro where the performance levels are alarmingly low. The decision to adopt digital monitoring is expected to enhance accountability, ensure sustainability, and guarantee clean drinking water to the people of Sindh, particularly in remote and underserved districts. The Public Health Engineering Department was instructed to present a detailed implementation plan within two weeks for review and final approval.
During the meeting, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh, Muhammad Saleem Baloch, stated that the majority of RO plants have been installed in rural and underdeveloped areas, where access to clean drinking water remains a major challenge. He noted that a significant portion of the budget is allocated to salaries, which limits resources for the repair and maintenance of these plants. He informed that 70% of RO plants in Sindh are currently operational, while the remaining non-functional units will be restored soon. A pilot project is being launched to manage RO plants through local communities. The government is committed to ensuring the availability of clean water in remote areas.
On this Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah said that proposed digital monitoring system must be accompanied by financial reforms and operational autonomy that would enable the Public Health Engineering Department to manage and maintain these plants more effectively. He reiterated the government’s commitment to resolving these issues but underscored the need for long-term structural changes to ensure success.
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