Dubai: Plastics maker Borouge said it is helping Pakistan NGO HEED Association and local polyethylene (PE) pipe and fittings producer Sun International to replace the water distribution networks in four villages in northern Pakistan that were destroyed by the recent floods.
The floods which occurred following the heavy monsoon rains in July this year were the worst seen in 80 years and at their peak covered one-fifth of Pakistan’s total land area and forced ten million people to rely on unsafe water sources.
As part of the Water for the World programme, Borouge will support the construction work which will be managed by the HEED Association in the villages of Mattoo, Thoniyan, Matteiyan and Daba in the Neelum Valley in northern Pakistan.
Sun International will manufacture the PE pipes and fittings from BorSafe HE3490-LS PE100 material from Borouge. BorSafe HE3490-LS was selected for its strength, flexibility and long life at extremely low temperatures. The lighter weight of PE 100 pipes also makes transportation easier in the inaccessible mountain ranges.
With their inherent flexibility and strength, welded pipe systems constructed from high quality PE materials are the best choice for withstanding major disasters such as earthquakes and floods and will also help the local villagers resume their normal daily life and reduce the threat of disease from drinking contaminated water.
Water for the World, an initiative of Borouge and Borealis launched in 2007, is part of the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and towards addressing the global water challenge.
In 2009 Borouge was working with NGO Lien Aid and the Singapore Water Association to provide clean drinking water to 10,000 victims of the earthquake in Sichuan, China, and more recently Borouge once again worked with Lien Aid to provide new drinking water systems for two hospitals in Vietnam.
In addition, working as active members of the Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) team, Borouge and Borealis have helped a further 300,000 poor people living in urban communities gain access to water and sanitation, mainly in Africa.
