Water commission extends ban on conversion of plots

Builders unhappy as committee formed to probe plots’ conversion

HYDERABAD: Extending the moratorium on the conversion of residential plots into commercial ones and ongoing construction work on such plots in Hyderabad, the Supreme Court-mandated water commission has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the conversions. The commission’s head, Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, ordered Hyderabad Commissioner Muhammad Abbas Baloch and local government secretary on Friday to undertake the inquiry and submit a report in four weeks.

An estimated 150 to 200 building projects in Hyderabad have reportedly been affected by the decision mainly in Latifabad and Qasimabad taluka of Hyderabad. The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) views the decisions as harmful for their business and the labourers besides bearing repercussions on the housing industry where supply already lags behind demand.

“The construction of the nature [on converted plots] has destroyed the fabric of Hyderabad city,” Justice (R) Muslim observed while chairing a meeting at the judges lodges in Hyderabad. “It has multiplied the issues of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) relating to drainage and providing clean drinking water to the public.”



The commission had earlier banned the conversion as well as on-going construction on the converted plots on the complaint of some residents of Latifabad town. “The mushroom growth has no symmetry, which has destroyed the beauty of the city,” he remarked.

He noted that the authorities approve such projects but they fail to provide the infrastructure required for the localities where residential plots are converted to commercial ones. However, Justice (R) Muslim tasked the committee to hear all the stakeholders including the complainants, the builders and the relevant government department during the inquiry.

“In the meantime, no permission for conversion would be granted by any authority nor would construction be allowed to continue on the basis of the permission granted earlier,” the commission’s order read. It further added that if a building project has been completed, the builder should not hand over the possession to the occupants without obtaining completion certificate from the authority.

Justice (R) Muslim had earlier expressed dismay over the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) Hyderabad Regional Director Navid Asim who during his long tenure in Hyderabad approved a large number of projects.

ABAD

Zulfiqar Farooqi, convener of ABAD Hyderabad’s SBCA Committee, told The Express Tribune that suspension of construction work will financially hurt the industry and all the people associated with it. “It takes 12 to 14 months to go through the processes of securing approvals from the relevant government departments before construction starts. The suspension on the commission’s order will delay the projects further.”

He expressed the belief that a permanent ban on the conversion will create a housing crisis because the city’s master plan does not offer adequate commercial plots while many such plots have been turned into Katchi Abadis. He said the builders pay betterment charges to SBCA and other civic agencies for improvement of infrastructure in the areas of their projects, but those hundreds of millions of rupees are utilised to pay salaries by the fund-starved agencies.

Farooqi deplored that the existing situation is compelling the builders to switch to other businesses leaving a housing crisis in the wake. He pointed to the high rentals for the residential units to argue that a shortage already exists.

“A two-pronged formula, which allows construction of ongoing projects and rationalises the policy will be acceptable to the builders.” Farooqi suggested that the commercial projects should be allowed on the 75-feet wide roads in Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas and 60-feet wide roads in city taluka. The projects should not be given approval in the areas where infrastructure of Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (WASA) cannot meet the requirements, he added.

WASA

The commission hinted that the existing strength of 1,300 daily wage employees of WASA can be halved and ordered the officials to submit in 24 hours detailed list of employees specifying the nature of their jobs. “The Managing Director [MD] of WASA [Agha Abdul Raheem] states that despite repeated notices, these employees are not reporting for duties,” Justice (R) Muslim noted.

Raheem apprised that whenever he visited the sites and pumping stations, he mostly did not find the staff working. The commission also ordered WASA to terminate the contract under which the recovery of water bills was outsourced to the private contractor.



“Under which law the recovery was outsourced?” he questioned, without getting a satisfactory reply from the MD and additional MD Saleemuddin Arain. He asked them to increase the recoveries by taking punitive action against the defaulters, pointing out that WASA’s staff protests before him to get their salaries which they are not paid for months due to low recovery of bills. “In future, the commission will hold him [Additional MD] responsible for the infirmities or shortcomings of WASA.”

The commission also took up the issue of solid waste dumping and burning near the residential localities in Hyderabad and directed the officials to expedite acquisition of the landfill sites. Justice (R) Muslim summoned on November 10 the chairperson of Qasimabad municipal committee, Kashif Shoro, on complaints of encroachment and solid waste burning.

The commission visited Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) to review installation of water purification plants which it had ordered some months ago. Although the installation of the two plants appeared to have been completed, delay in making them functional dismayed Justice (R) Muslim who summoned vice chancellor of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences on November 10.

Expressing disappointment over the delay, Justice (R) Muslim directed the health secretary to provide incinerators for LUH and other hospitals in the province at the earliest.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2018.