Capital water supply less than half of requirements

Senate panel on CADD asks why daily wage teachers not given permanent posts

ISLAMABAD: Even as the mercury swelters, the capital is getting less than half of the water it needs every day. A need exacerbated by the lack of water to put out the wildfires on the Margalla Hills raging these days.

This was disclosed in a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD). The meeting was held at the Parliament House on Friday with Senator Dr Ashok Kumar in the chair.

During the meeting, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman Usman Bajwa was asked about the shortage of water in the capital.

Bajwa explained that the over two million residents of the capital requires 120 million gallons of water every day (mgd). However, they were only receiving 59mgd.

Of this meagre supply, Bajwa lamented, 30%  goes to waste, exacerbating the shortage.

Asked about the sources of water, he explained that the capital gets its water from three sources, Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam, and 197 tube-wells spread across the city.

Apart from dwindling supply of water from the two dams, a vast majority of the tube-wells, around 157 of them, are out of order.

Senator Samina Saeed said that the federal capital should act as a role model for the rest of the country. Unfortunately, residents of the city are forced to stand in long queues just to fetch a pail of water owing to its acute shortage.

Senator Kulsoom Parveen asked why the civic body has been unable to take effective measures to control fires which have been erupting over the Margalla Hills for the past few months.

The latest such inferno has required assistance from the air force to put it out.

At this, the CDA chairman explained that after the creation of the local government, few resources are left with the CDA and the remaining are with the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) and that the mayor of the city was responsible for controlling the fires.



Education woes

The committee also took up a host of education-related issues in the capital including a collection of fees for summer vacations and matter of daily wage teachers.

The committee took strict notice of private schools collecting advance summer vacation fees for the months of July and August despite against court orders.

At this, the committee was told that the matter is still pending in court.

The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) director gave the standing committee a briefing about the directorate, noting that they cover 423 institutions which cover primary education to masters. In the schools operating under the directorate, some 213,000 students are enrolled while 9,663 teachers and 4,423 officers as non-teaching staff are employed.

Senators Parveen, Saeed and Mir Yousuf Badini asked why have the daily wage staffers, working on contracts since 2011, have not been awarded permanent employment.

“They have been repeatedly demanding their rights and despite recommendations from the standing committee, the issue remains unresolved,” the senators lamented, adding that former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had recently instituted a committee to probe the matter.

Senator Parveen also expressed concerns over a lack of schools in the federal capital. She pointed out how the population of the capital had more than doubled over the past 20 years but the number of schools in the city has remained the same. As a result, she pointed out, schools in the capital have been forced to operate multiple shifts.

“Such is the state of schools that I have to personally visit the secretary to secure admissions for deserving children, what to say of ordinary citizens,” she said.

Senator Saeed urged the education ministry to take measures to curb the rising trend of drug abuse amongst students. She further demanded that an old age home should be set up in the capital.

Senator Badini called for a discussion on education for specially-abled children.

The committee was further briefed that under the Prime Minister's Education Reforms Programme, Rs5 billion had been provided to CADD to strengthen facilities at the capital’s educational institutions. In this regard, so far, 226 computer labs have been established.

Of the process to procure 200 buses for the capital, 70 buses have been procured while the process to get rest 130 has also been completed.



Murders

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed demanded that the authorities submit a report over the murder of a security guard at the Islamabad Wildlife department.

Separately, Senator Saeed Ghani pointed to the murder of a woman working at Islamabad Club. The committee decided to take up the issue in its next meeting.

At this, Senator Parveen asked why has there been no movement over her request for membership of the club despite having submitted the requisite fees a year ago.

The committee also reviewed in detail the Islamabad and Country club 2017, Senator Azam Swati's Islamabad Club and Management Bill 2017 and vowed to hold extensive discussions on all proposals made by the senators in its upcoming sessions.

High prices

While reviewing exorbitant prices being charged at the weekly markets, the district municipal administration officials told the standing committee that price lists for weekly bazaars are issued in advance and that the deputy director and other officers are responsible for controlling prices in these markets.

The committee directed DMA officials to conduct surprise visits in such markets apart from ensuring that product being sold there are up to the standards and are traded per the listed price.

Dr Kumar said that CADD had an immense responsibility and that the members of the committee must work together to mend the flawed system.

“We will chalk out a joint strategy to solve all problems faced by the public,” he assured.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2018.