DCs directed to clean their districts within two weeks

Judicial commission wants city’s cleanliness ensured

KARACHI: The head of the Supreme Court-appointed judicial commission on water and sanitation directed on Wednesday all deputy commissioners to supervise cleaning and garbage collection, giving a two-week deadline to complete the task.

Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, the commission’s head, remarked that if the government is incapable of managing this task, then what good is it at all?

He sought details of the employees and cars of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and ordered the immediate end of the occupation of the Municipal Corporation Workshop.

The hearing was attended by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) managing director, additional director of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other officials concerned. The commission remarked that it was not investigating all of the health sector’s issues and that NAB could separately investigate the procurement of machinery and other items.

Dr Saeed Qureshi, vice-chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, maintained that the procurement of insulators including several other machines is being investigated.



The matter of scattered K-Electric (K-E) wires on streets and footpaths was also heard by the commission. The chief distribution officer of the power utility informed the commission that cables around Sharae Faisal and several other locations have been removed. The commission remarked that after privatisation, the utility believes it is above the law. Justice (retd) Muslim questioned whether K-E officials had seen the conditions of the poles where there are wires in abundance. The chief distribution officer said that most of the wires are TV cables.

The officer maintained that the problem will be solved in the next three to four years. The commission inquired when the cables above the drains would be removed, upon which the officer replied that a few issues are impeding the task, but it will be completed soon. Justice (retd) Muslim said that as per K-E’s plan, the drains will not be cleaned. He ordered that encroachments above the drains be immediately removed. The commission went on to order the complete cleanliness of the four big drains in the city. He also directed that the cables be removed in areas without encroachments.

The commission also directed the chief secretary to call a meeting of all the deputy commissioners and heads of all agencies.

Public Health Engineering Secretary Asif Hyder Shah explained that several agencies operate in the city, such as the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, district municipal corporations and cantonment boards. He said plans are often delayed due to lack of coordination between various departments. Despite the removal of billboards, the structures still exist along the city’s roads. Railway tracks pass through half of the city. There are garbage heaps across the city and the institutions that own the land should remove them.

The commission also took up the issue of awarding contracts to Chinese companies for garbage lifting. The SSWMB MD claimed that there are several problems with workers’ attendance in District South. Two biometric machines were broken, he said, adding that the workers union issued threats and created a ruckus. We were not able to hold meetings and the police are refusing to take action, he lamented. He claimed that these miscreants had the support of the Lyari district council chairman. He went on to say that the most problems were in Lyari.



If this situation continues, said the MD, it will be difficult to work. The commission questioned how matters would work out if the government backs the miscreants.

Shah said that a case has been registered and the suspects will be nabbed. The commission ordered the police to provide security to the SSWMB staff.

The commission also took up the issue of water theft from a canal near Keti Bandar on an application. The petitioner claimed that Rs3 billion had been embezzled in the construction of the canal and influential people and MPAs are involved in this corruption. The commission ordered immediate action against the perpetrators.

The commission also ordered that illegal connections by the irrigation department be disconnected and provision of water to Haji Basheer Ali Goth. The Thatta SSP was directed to provide complete security to the petitioners.

The matter of installation of treatment plants in industrial areas was also taken up. The SITE Association counsel maintained that 14 drains pass through the SITE area where effluent is discharged.  A work plan with the help of a national research institution has been formulated. Proper work will begin from tomorrow.

The commission remarked that the issue will remain unresolved until each factory installs its own treatment plant. Our order is clear - every factory will have to set up its own plant, said Justice (retd) Muslim. Combined effluent treatment plants are the projects of the federal and provincial government and they should install their own plants wherever needed, he said.



Karachi’s Additional IG Mushtaq Maher appeared before the court on being summoned. The commission ordered him to ensure compliance with the law, referring to the complaints of the SSWMB MD regarding workers being stopped from work. Justice (retd) Muslim said cases should be registered against the miscreants who are stopping the workers from lifting garbage.

The commission was informed that a majority of the members opposed District Central district council resolution for cooperation with the SSWMB. District Central Chairman Rehan Hashmi said there is a rift in the council and they had no confidence in the board. But, in the presence of the commission and now that the MD has changed, i have changed my mind, he said.