Commission wants master plan approved as soon as possible to save water

Public health engineering dept says summary has been submitted to CM for fund approval

KARACHI: The judicial commission directed on Saturday the provincial authorities to get the PC-1 for implementation of the master plan to save the province’s water from being polluted approved by the chief minister as soon as possible and submit a report in this regard by December 2.

Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro of the Sindh High Court (SHC) gave these directives as part of a one-man judicial commission set-up by the Supreme Court to investigate the failure of the provincial authorities to provide clean drinking water, improve deteriorating sanitation conditions and environment in Sindh.

At the outset of the proceedings, the secretary of the public health engineering department (PHED), Tameezuddin Khero, filed a report showing that the PC-1 for the implementation of the master plan was under preparation in the light of the feasibility report. The summary had been sent to the CM for approval for the required funds, he added.

Khero said work on implementation of the master plan will be possible once the PC-1 was approved and tendering was done, which may take another three months.

Syed Jamal Mustafa, the taskforce's chairperson, also filed a report regarding his visit to the Umerkot ultrafiltration plant.



He maintained that the plant was found functional and its benefits were extended to the people, but the laboratory test could not be done because the laboratory was working only temporarily and was not entirely dependable.

It was informed that the inquiry officer who visited the plant conducted several tests of water on seven different occasions but the results were discrepant. It was suggested that the PHED will establish a functional laboratory there to maintain the basic parameters of clean water.

The chairperson's report was shared with the PHED secretary, who said he will take steps to establish a laboratory. Khero said since the last date of hearing further improvement in several water supply schemes was made and instead of 55%, now 60% of the schemes were properly working.

He filed a report, showing the names of the schemes besides quoting the reasons for the non-functioning of the remaining schemes. He claimed on the last hearing that it was informed that out of 239 schemes, 214 had been energised. About the remaining schemes, he said 13 connections had also been energised. Of only 13 remaining ones, 10 will be energised by the Hyderabad Electric Supply Corporation (Hesco) and three by the Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco).

Sepco legal director Sattar Bux Soomro and Hesco deputy technical director Abdullah Yousifani assured the commission that electricity connections would be provided to remaining 13 schemes and a compliance report would be submitted by the next date.



Local Government Secretary Muhammad Ramzan Awan and Muhammad Waris, a senior lawyer for Siemens, said the filter plant at Golarchi will be made functional by November 15 and, after 10 days, the same will be handed over to the PHED for operation and maintenance by Siemens, which will verify its functionality for 10 days.

Awan requested time to convert the reverse osmosis (RO) plants in Badin district into ultrafiltration plants and their installation in different parts of the city for the people's convenience. However, he undertook to submit a preliminary report in this regard, showing details of the steps needed to achieve the purpose, by the next date of hearing.

The secretaries of the local government and PHED jointly submitted before the commission that the Urban Water Supply Scheme for Jati had been made functional since July 30 this year, but maintained that a report on the water quality will be filed by the next date of hearing. They stated that no laboratory is functioning in Badin but one will established shortly so that all the quality parameters of clean water could be analysed as per World Health Organization standards.

Water tanker rates

In respect to the regulations for operating water hydrants, the LG secretary said that after due scrutiny by the law department, the draft rules had been submitted to the Cabinet for final approval.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board's focal person, Muhammad Shakeel, and deputy managing director, Abdullah Khan, said the price of a water tanker had been notified and this price will be widely published in newspapers this Sunday to create awareness among the public.



In order to control and check the price of water tankers, it was undertaken by all concerned that on each water tanker, the maximum price will be written in clear and conspicuous words so that every person knows the price they have to pay. They further undertook that this exercise will be done within a month and a compliance report will be filed.

Effluent treatment plants

Industries Secretary Abdul Raheem Soomro informed the commission that the meeting of the executive committee of the national economic council for the approval of five combined effluent treatment plants for Karachi had still not taken place. He said the CM had been informed of this and had said the prime minister would be contacted to resolve the issue.

The commission directed the additional attorney-general to liaise with the federal government on this important issue and sensitise it about the urgent nature of the matter so that the requisite meeting could take place as early as possible. It also directed the office to communicate a copy of this order to the additional attorney-general to submit a compliance report by the next date of hearing.

In compliance with the commission's October 21 order, taskforce member Dr Ghulam Murtaza filed a copy of a report which was handed over to the provincial law officer for perusal and compliance.



Additional Health Secretary Jalaluddin Jelalani filed a report on behalf of the health secretary, informing that his department was providing health sterilisation equipment to the Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Hospital, Sukkur and Civil Hospital Karachi, which will be installed within 10 to 12 weeks. In addition to this, one friction heat sterilisation unit is available, which will be installed at Chandka Medical Hospital, Larkana within four weeks, he added.

Jelalani said the order for the required 17 incinerators had already been placed, of which three had been supplied by the contractor and provided to hospitals in Shikarpur, Naushero Feroz and Badin districts.

The commission said it is expected that in addition to these 14 incinerators, the health department will take steps to provide incinerators to the remaining hospitals in Sindh and such report will be filed to the commission.

Pollution

Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) Director-General Baqaullah filed a copy of a report provided to the taskforce's chairperson for his perusal and to verify whether any measures were taken by the agency on the suggestions proposed by him in the report on the authority's functioning and performance.

In his report, the DG highlighted the progress made by Sepa since the last date of hearing. He sought time to file reply to recommendations made by the taskforce.



Masood Ahmed Jumani, the managing-director of the Water and Sanitation Authority, Hyderabad, said schemes for the rehabilitation of the water filter plants had been approved by the government and the tender for work had been sent for publication in newspapers on November 18.

He said a model treatment plant had been shifted to the Darya Khan Pumping Station and will be installed within a few days, after which a compliance report will be submitted.

Water, sanitation at schools

Education Secretary Dr Iqbal Hussain Durrani informed the commission that he had prepared a plan focusing on all the issues impairing the education department, which include but are not restricted to providing facilities of clean drinking water and maintaining sanitation at schools.

He maintained that this plan will be first discussed with the CM and only after its modalities are sorted out and agreed upon, will the same will be shared with the commission on the next date of hearing.

The commission adjourned hearing till December 2.