Commission wants five-year records of water, sanitation schemes
Judicial commission hearing case regarding non-provision of clean water, sanitation in Sindh.
Poisonous water is being dumped into the Kotri Barrage canal which supplies water to Karachi. This has become a health and environmental hazard for the people of Jamshoro, Thatta and Karachi. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
All the district and sessions' judges have been tasked with collecting details of the projects or schemes that the Sindh government claims to have launched in the last five years to provide clean drinking water and improve sanitation in each district.
A judicial commission set up by the Supreme Court to probe allegations of non-provision of potable water and deteriorating sanitation conditions directed on Monday the district and sessions' judges to collect details within 10 days.
Commission head Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro also asked the judges to obtain names of officers during whose incumbency such projects were launched, the amount spent and results achieved. The judicial officers will also mention in their reports the current status of such projects, when they were launched and completed and year-wise costs incurred on their maintenance. On Monday, the commission granted one-week to additional health secretary Jamaluddin Mughal to file details of water supply schemes in government hospitals and management of waste in all of Sindh's hospitals. The secretary will also inform the commission about the amount spent by the government individually in the last five years on hospital waste management and whether the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2014, are being implemented by public and private hospitals.
Justice Kalhoro confronted irrigation secretary Ahmed Junaid Memon with the fact that in Sindh municipal waste as well as waste produced by hospitals and industries was being directly poured into irrigation channels, which were under his control and authority. The secretary admitted and said the irrigation department has been making efforts to address the issue but has failed to achieve any results.
The secretary was reminded that Justice Kalhoro had noted that during the closure days, where there was no sweet water available in the canals, only water mixed with effluent of municipalities and industries was being provided to the people from the irrigation channels down the points from where such effluent was being poured in. The secretary was unable to deny this fact either and requested for a week to submit a report on a plant along with a timeline to execute it.
Memon said since the industries department's secretary is looking after the affairs of SITE, therefore, he may be called to answer queries regarding functioning of the combined treatment plants installed by the Sindh government. The commission issued a notice to the industries secretary to appear on January 24. Karachi Water and Sewerage Board's (KWSB) managing-director informed that high-rise plazas were being built with no objection certificate (NOC) issued by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to the builders. "SBCA does not adopt legal formalities before issuing such NOCs," he alleged. "The SBCA does not take the KWSB on board so that issue of water supply and sanitation could be addressed adequately at an early stage," he added.
It also granted one-week to the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association's chairperson and Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association's president to file reports regarding the disposal of untreated effluent generated by textile mills and pharmaceutical companies. A notice was also issued to the All Pakistan Textile Processing Association's chairperson to appear on January 24.
Pakistan Tanners Association senior vice-chairperson Aziz Ahmed filed a report claiming their waste was taken to the combined effluent plant in Korangi Industrial Area, where, after treatment, it was discharged into the open nullah and ultimately end up in the sea. Refuting such claims, petitioner Shahab Usto said the treatment plant was not functioning. A representative of the oceanology department filed a report, which was taken on record. The commission directed the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency to submit a comprehensive report about the treatment plant supported by records of its performance.
A notice was also issued to the initiative department secretary to submit first-hand information on the present and past performance of reverse osmosis plants within three days. The record of five years performance of the RO plants installed in each district, their costs, year of starting and completion of the project, total expenditures incurred, incumbency of executing officer, maintenance and current status will also be produced.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2017.
All the district and sessions' judges have been tasked with collecting details of the projects or schemes that the Sindh government claims to have launched in the last five years to provide clean drinking water and improve sanitation in each district.
A judicial commission set up by the Supreme Court to probe allegations of non-provision of potable water and deteriorating sanitation conditions directed on Monday the district and sessions' judges to collect details within 10 days.
Commission head Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro also asked the judges to obtain names of officers during whose incumbency such projects were launched, the amount spent and results achieved. The judicial officers will also mention in their reports the current status of such projects, when they were launched and completed and year-wise costs incurred on their maintenance. On Monday, the commission granted one-week to additional health secretary Jamaluddin Mughal to file details of water supply schemes in government hospitals and management of waste in all of Sindh's hospitals. The secretary will also inform the commission about the amount spent by the government individually in the last five years on hospital waste management and whether the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2014, are being implemented by public and private hospitals.
Justice Kalhoro confronted irrigation secretary Ahmed Junaid Memon with the fact that in Sindh municipal waste as well as waste produced by hospitals and industries was being directly poured into irrigation channels, which were under his control and authority. The secretary admitted and said the irrigation department has been making efforts to address the issue but has failed to achieve any results.
The secretary was reminded that Justice Kalhoro had noted that during the closure days, where there was no sweet water available in the canals, only water mixed with effluent of municipalities and industries was being provided to the people from the irrigation channels down the points from where such effluent was being poured in. The secretary was unable to deny this fact either and requested for a week to submit a report on a plant along with a timeline to execute it.
Memon said since the industries department's secretary is looking after the affairs of SITE, therefore, he may be called to answer queries regarding functioning of the combined treatment plants installed by the Sindh government. The commission issued a notice to the industries secretary to appear on January 24. Karachi Water and Sewerage Board's (KWSB) managing-director informed that high-rise plazas were being built with no objection certificate (NOC) issued by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to the builders. "SBCA does not adopt legal formalities before issuing such NOCs," he alleged. "The SBCA does not take the KWSB on board so that issue of water supply and sanitation could be addressed adequately at an early stage," he added.
It also granted one-week to the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association's chairperson and Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association's president to file reports regarding the disposal of untreated effluent generated by textile mills and pharmaceutical companies. A notice was also issued to the All Pakistan Textile Processing Association's chairperson to appear on January 24.
Pakistan Tanners Association senior vice-chairperson Aziz Ahmed filed a report claiming their waste was taken to the combined effluent plant in Korangi Industrial Area, where, after treatment, it was discharged into the open nullah and ultimately end up in the sea. Refuting such claims, petitioner Shahab Usto said the treatment plant was not functioning. A representative of the oceanology department filed a report, which was taken on record. The commission directed the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency to submit a comprehensive report about the treatment plant supported by records of its performance.
A notice was also issued to the initiative department secretary to submit first-hand information on the present and past performance of reverse osmosis plants within three days. The record of five years performance of the RO plants installed in each district, their costs, year of starting and completion of the project, total expenditures incurred, incumbency of executing officer, maintenance and current status will also be produced.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2017.