SC wants district-wise reports, cutoff dates for water and sanitation projects

CM to submit such details by fourth week of January 2018

The Supreme Court (SC) directed the chief minister to submit district-wise reports specifying the cutoff dates for completion of projects to supply clean drinking water and improve sanitation conditions across the province.

These directives were contained in a six-page order issued by the apex court's three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, after hearing the matter relating to non-availability of potable drinking water, poor sanitation conditions and deteriorating environment in Sindh at the SC's Karachi Registry this week.

In an unusual move, Justice Nisar had summoned CM Murad Ali Shah on December 6 to explain what steps were being taken to provide potable drinking water and improve sanitation conditions in Sindh, as it found no satisfactory reply from the provincial government. Other bench members included justices Faisal Arab and Sajjad Ali Shah.

"At the very outset, we apprised the chief minister that the present proceedings are undertaken to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the inhabitants of the province of Sindh and the disposal of municipal, hospital and industrial waste after proper treatment, as failure to provide this has caused pollution of subsoil water and outbreak of several waterborne diseases such as hepatitis-C, skin diseases and other related ailments," said the court order available with The Express Tribune.



A documentary prepared by the petitioner, Advocate Shahab Usto, regarding a survey conducted by them accompanying Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro showing the discharge of sewerage water into the Indus River, its various canals and tributaries contaminating the source of clean sweet water was played in the open court.

After seeing the video, the CM presented the Sindh government's version and the efforts made by him undertaking corrective measures to improve the supply of clean and potable water.

"The CM, without controverting the projection made in the video recording, insisted that the state of affairs depicted in the video is not a true reflection of the present state of affairs, as a lot of improvements were made since then and situation is not as gloomy as projected in the video.

"We made it clear to the chief minister that our concern is solely with regard to the supply of uncontaminated water to the people of the province, the disposal of municipal, hospital and industrial waste after proper treatment and to achieve this purpose, the government has to ensure the proper functioning of existing facilities, setting up of new projects for the supply of potable water and treatment of effluent," the order read.

It said the CM was assured that for achieving the required results, SC would lend all the necessary support in removal of hiccups at all levels subject to a firm commitment to the court detailing a timeframe for achieving the required results.



Shah requested three weeks to submit the report along with the timeframe within which the provincial government would be able to achieve the target. He assured the court that he would submit his report in writing covering all issues discussed in the hearing.

Therefore, the court told the CM to file district-wise report specifying all points from where municipal, hospital and industrial sewerage is discharged in the ultimate source of clean water, may it be river Indus, its canals or any other source are plugged.

It also sought a district-wise report with a cutoff date as to when a proper sewerage system along with treatment plants will be installed or made operational in all the districts of Sindh including a proper source for discharge of treated sewerage.

The CM was asked to state all the projects planned by the provincial government in that pursuit and provide district-wise cutoff dates for their completion. It sought a cutoff date by which all existing treatment plants will be made functional to their full capacity to ensure discharge of treated sewerage from Karachi into the sea.

The CM was directed to furnish a fresh report in respect of the K-IV and S-III projects and the extent of work completed so far and the expected date of completion.

A district-wise report showing the plans with their cutoff date for ensuring sufficient uncontaminated water for every district according to its population should also be filed by the CM within four weeks. The matter was adjourned till fourth week of January 2018.