Commission takes a dim view of converting industrial plots into commercial

Officials of Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate, Sindh Building Control Authority put on notice

KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated Judicial Commission on Water and Sanitation has taken stern notice of the conversion of plots designated for industrial use in Hyderabad to commercial plots.

The commission's head, Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, visited on Thursday the Hyderabad SITE area and put the officials of Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) and Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on notice.

"What is shocking is that these industries' [plots] have been converted into commercial [plots] with the permission of the SITE Board," he stated in the order. The SITE managing director has been asked to appear before the commission on August 16 in Karachi and explain if SITE has the authority to convert the plots from industrial to commercial.



The SITE MD will also have to furnish a complete list of the plots whose conversion has been approved so far. Several commercial building projects have appeared in the Hyderabad SITE area, mainly along Autobahn Road and more similar projects are reportedly in the pipeline.

There are some 311 industries in the SITE area, among which 229 are functional. The warehouses and petrol pumps exist on 38 plots while the industries on 44 other plots have been classified as the sick units.

SBCA Director-General Iftikhar Ali Qaimkhani has also been summoned, along with the regional directors, on August 16 to explain how they have been approving construction of commercial structure on the industrial plots. "... whether permission of the civic agencies was obtained prior to allowing [the] construction [on industrial plots]?"

The SBCA will also have to submit the list of the converted plots at the hearing. The provincial chief secretary and local government secretary will also have to attend the hearing.

As pollution of the Phuleli canal increases, which is the water and irrigation source for four districts, Justice (retd) Muslim asked the federal and provincial governments to expedite approval of the eastern sewage treatment plant. At present, a large quantity of untreated water is being released in the canal through Darya Khan pumping station to the detriment of the health of the citizens drinking water in the downstream.

The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has prepared PC-I of the treatment plant and submitted it to the relevant arm of the provincial government for approval. Subsequently, PC-I will be forwarded to the federal government for financial approval.

Kotri SITE

The commission has also put on notice the industries in the Kotri SITE area, Jamshoro district, which are operating without an effluent treatment mechanism. During the visit to the site on Thursday, Justice (retd) Muslim was informed that among some 103 factories, only eight had effluent treatment plants and 16 were equipped with septic tanks. Some 25 units are either closed or sick. The commission ordered serving of the notices to the remaining industries through the Jamshoro district SSP.



He directed the SITE MD to maintain cleanliness and plant trees in the SITE area for which the district forest officer will coordinate by providing the sapling while the deputy commissioner will monitor the plantation. He gave the SITE authorities 15 days to remove debris and construction material from the roads and submit a compliance report.

On the SITE's complaint about the damage done to the roads by the trucks carrying sand and grit, the commission while ordering a ban on entry of such vehicles asked the police to set up a check post.

The commission also visited Kotri town and expressed dismay over lack of cleanliness. Justice (retd) Muslim gave one day to the chief municipal officer to clean the town and directed the judicial magistrate Ali Raza Khan to monitor the cleanliness and submit a report.