The Sindh government has decided to install at least 29 more Reverse Osmosis (Water Desalination) plants to ensure potable water for the local population of coalfields areas of the province, it is learnt. The decision was taken at a meeting held recently under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Munawar Opel, which was also attended by Secretary Mines and Mineral Development Department Ajaz Khan and other relevant officials of the Sindh government, sources told Business Recorder on Thursday. The Sindh chief minister, during his visit of Kantio, district Tharparkar, had announced installation of more 29 Reverse Osmosis plants in 25 villages of the coalfield areas of district Badin, Thatta, Jamshoro and Tharparkar to ensure availability of clean drinking water for local inhabitants, they said. The mines and mineral development department had already moved a summary to the Chief Minister for sanctioning installation of 20 water desalination plants and the number was raised to 29. The competent authority has recently approved the installation of the plants and it is expected that the work on them would shortly be started, they added. The installation of water desalination plants would cost about Rs 15 million including Rs 2.5 million for the electrification and sanitation at the sites of these plants, they said, adding that the water would be brought from the tube-wells with a depth of at least 500 meters after which it would be desalinated. The Sindh government had recently sent a team of senior officials to the sites of already installed water desalination plants to check their proper functioning and facilities being provided to the local people, they said and added that in many places long queues of people were seen waiting for the water due to power failure, they said. They said at many places it was observed that the influential people had installed small sucking water motors and in few cases the people had laid temporary water lines up to their houses for having easy access of the government's facility. Sources said that keeping in view the team's observation, the mines and mineral development department included provision of heavy diesel generator with the deployment of at least two private security guards to ensure transparent supply of water to the poor people.