HDA chief likely to be axed on court orders

Court expresses surprise that an official facing corruption charges has been given additional powers

HYDERABAD: The Director General of Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA), who has been overseeing the failed operation of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), to drain rainwater from flooded Hyderabad is likely to be removed on the Sindh High Court's orders. The Hyderabad Circuit Bench, comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry, ordered the Sindh government on Thursday to appoint a full-fledged HDA DG within two days.

The incumbent, Ghulam Muhammad Qaimkhani, who is the chief financial officer of HDA, is holding the acting charge of the DG. During the hearing, the bench noted with dismay that an official who is implicated in a corruption reference by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been given multiple additional charges in the HDA and its subsidiary, WASA.



Qaimkhani was also heading the WASA as its acting managing director until recently. However, on Thursday a notification was submitted in the SHC, saying that Saleemuddin Arain has been notified as the new WASA MD. The HDA counsel advocate Irfan Bughio, upon Justice Panhwar's inquiry about the absence of Qaimkhani during the hearing, apprised the court that the acting DG had gone to attend a hearing in the accountability court.

The court also ordered the new HDA DG to submit the master plan of Hyderabad on the next date of hearing. The WASA MD sought time to submit details of the water supply system in the city. He also undertook before the bench that he will introduce the biometric attendance system to curb ghost employees.

The Sindh Finance Department in their report informed the court that the provincial government had released Rs312 million to HDA and WASA. The amount includes Rs162 million for the water utility bills paid on behalf of the provincial government's departments and Rs150 million financial grant for payment of salaries. The HDA has received Rs4.16 billion since 2010 from the Sindh government.

Meanwhile, in his report regarding the chlorination system, Hyderabad Commissioner Muhammad Abbass Baloch stated that WASA has been using calcium hypochlorite bleaching powder in excess of the prescribed use. "Use of the bleaching powder for long time is ignorance of the management and technical team of WASA." He also pointed out that chlorine, which is purchased and applied in very scant quantity, is being procured through local purchase instead of the tendering system.



In his recommendations, he submitted that the chlorine should be purchased through tenders, maintenance of chlorinators with their lifespan of five years should be ensured and all illegal connections including commercial ones should be severed in a month.

Rain aftermath

A large number of localities in Latifabad and Qasimabad remained under water for the fourth day after Monday's rainfall. The HDA DG, Qaimkhani, told The Express Tribune that it will take at least two more days to drain the rainwater.

The Pakistan Army and Rangers have also joined the de-watering operations in Latifabad and Qasimabad. The water shortage has also hit the city as Qaimkhani said that due to the power outage and accumulation of rainwater in the filtration plants, they were able to resume the water supply from the plants on Thursday afternoon. "The water supply lines have dried up during the last two to three days. The water will reach consumers by around 12 midnight [on Thursday]."

The city saw several protests on Thursday again in City, Qasimabad and Latifabad areas with the residents complaining against the power outages, delayed drainage and water scarcity. An official of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), who requested anonymity, said that they have been flooded with complaints about faults in transformers and transmission lines.

Residents of dozens of areas complained that the power transformers in their localities could not be repaired even after four days of the rain.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2019.