SHC directs WASA to cut off illegal connections, install water meters

Survey, report sought of commercial water connections in City, Latifabad, Qasimabad talukas

HYDERABAD: As the theft of filtered water by commercial users such as car service stations and ice factories remains rampant in Hyderabad, the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) on Thursday to cut off illegal connections and submit a report.

The bench comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito also directed WASA to fix appropriate water charges for commercial consumers and install water meters as well.

"We are constrained to pass such direction because on the one hand, people generally are facing severe shortage of water and on the other hand, WASA has been allowing wastage of water on washing of the vehicles without even adequately charging them in proportion to the water use," said one of the judges on the bench.

WASA Managing Director Saleemuddin Arain informed the court that only 60 WASA licensed car washes are operating in Hyderabad.

The petitioner, advocate Sajjad Chandio, interrupted to add that actually around 600 car service stations operated in the district. The court asked WASA to introduce a system of recycling water at the service stations besides fixing a particular quantity of water for each station while ensuring that the monitoring system through water metres is also put in place.

The agency will also have to submit the current rates which are being charged from licensed stations so that the court may order the new rates at the next date of hearing. SHC ordered the MD to conduct a survey of commercial water connections in City, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas. The court gave two months for the survey and submission of its report.

The MD apprised the bench that new water supply and drainage lines are being laid in Qasimabad and Latifabad talukas which were submerged in the flash flood after July 29 heavy rainfall. Arain said the project will take up to three months to complete. The court expressed dismay over the prolonged time which has been taken by WASA to drain the rainwater from Qasimabad and Latifabad. The MD said it will take them one more week to completely clear the water from low lying areas.

The petitioner informed the court that 10 days have passed since the July 29 torrential downpour but many areas of Qasimabad are still underwater. SHC summoned Qasimabad Municipal Committee Chairperson Kashif Shoro and Chief Municipal Officer Hatim Mallah on August 20. Hyderabad received 188 millimetres of rain on July 29 which left almost entire Qasimabad and large parts of Latifabad besides low lying areas of City taluka submerged.

The court noted that the Sindh government's ban on polythene bags has not been implemented in Hyderabad and ordered the Hyderabad deputy commissioner to submit the reason for failing to implement the ban. The hearing was adjourned to August 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2019.