Lower courts in Sindh to go solar

SHC orders 560 subordinate courts across the province to utilise annual budget

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has decided to electrify the subordinate judiciary with solar energy so judicial work at 560 courts across the province does not suffer from prolonged power breakdowns, The Express Tribune was told on Tuesday.

Sources said the SHC has issued directives to district and sessions judges of 27 districts, asking them to adopt solar power as an alternative source of energy to ensure routine tasks do not suffer from electricity load-shedding during working hours.



The officials privy to the decision said that the decision was taken following complaints by the judges about prolonged power breakdowns during working hours — from 8:30am to 1:30pm — and lack of alternative arrangements to ensure smooth trials and proceedings. Quoting the judicial officers, the officials said there were no alternative arrangements in the subordinate judiciary such as generators, which was hampering routine work.



The issue emerged during the ongoing inspections of subordinate courts, which were initiated on the directives of SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah to ascertain the availability of basic facilities at subordinate courts across the province, the officials revealed.So far inspections have been conducted in five districts, including Karachi's East and Central, Thatta and Tando Allah Yar.

"The common problem coming from almost every judicial officer was load-shedding," an official privy to the drive told The Express Tribune.

As a result, the SHC issued directives to all district and sessions judges, asking them to make arrangements to install solar panels to provide uninterrupted power, the officials explained.



"It is being planned that at least one fan, one light and a computer should be solar powered so judicial work continues when power outages take place," an official posted at the district courts in Karachi told The Express Tribune. "The judicial officers can utilise the amount [for installing solar panels] from their annual budgetary allocations," the official added.

Leading the way

Officials said the idea to go solar had come after its successful experiment at District Umerkot's courts, where the district and sessions judge had informed the SHC regarding saving of funds meant for electricity bills.

"Two and a half years ago, use of solar energy was adopted at the district courts in Umerkot and this led the SHC to implement the same in the rest of the province's courts," the official said.

Sources said that to kick-start the programme, East district and sessions judge has asked for quotations from private firms providing solar panels, rechargeable batteries, and other necessary equipment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2016.