NDMA, not Sindh govt, to clean Karachi drains: Supreme Court

KARACHI:

The Supreme Court reiterated on Thursday that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), to which it had assigned the task of cleaning Karachi's stormwater drains, would carry out the work instead of the Sindh government.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Faisal Arab, was hearing a case pertaining to rain-related problems in the provincial capital at the SC's Karachi registry.

The local government secretary presented a report on the provincial government's performance during the recent monsoon rains, while Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin asked the court for time until August 30 to clean the city's nullahs, adding that the work was in progress with the World Bank's (WB's) support.

"What do you want to prove by showing us pictures of two clean nullahs? You cannot claim all of Karachi has been cleaned," responded the CJP. "If the drains were cleaned, why was the city flooded?" He added that it appeared the WB's funds were also squandered.

"If the Sindh government is cleaning the drains, why was the NDMA called in?" he questioned. Talibuddin responded that it was unclear why the NDMA was sent to Karachi.

Justice Ahsan remarked that the NDMA had already been given the task of cleaning the port city's drains. "If you work with the NDMA, what is wrong with that? The Sindh government is responsible for alleviating the citizens' problems. Do you want us to stop the NDMA from working?"

Talibuddin replied that the NDMA would use the provincial government's machinery and labour, and would only supervise the work.

The Sindh government's representative sought time until August 30 to clean Karachi's drains, adding that the chief minister assured it would be done.

'Probe KE owners'

In another case, pertaining to load-shedding and electrocution deaths in the metropolis, the bench expressed dissatisfaction over K-Electric's (KE) report and sought a detailed report from the federal government.

The court stated that the Centre should come up with a comprehensive solution for load-shedding in Karachi and also investigate KE's owners.

During the hearing, KE submitted a detailed report regarding the power utility, sought by the court at the last hearing. However, the CJP termed the report unsatisfactory.

"KE only wants money and its owners want to rip off Karachi's citizens. It is shameful that the city has been left at its mercy," he lashed out. "Two days ago, power was cut off in half the city despite court orders. Who are they to cut off electricity? We will not let them off the hook!" He added that people were dying of electrocution but KE officials got away with sureties of only Rs50,000.

Furthermore, National Electrical Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) chairperson Tauseef Farooqi also presented records of show-cause notices and cases against KE, informing the court that the power utility had acquired stay orders in every case.

The court's amicus curiae on the case, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, stated that if KE was fined Rs20 million, there would be no more complaints, adding that if action had been taken last year, people would not have died this year.

The CJP said KE's owner was in jail. "The condition of our government is such that it has given KE to a person arrested in another country."

KE counsel Abid Zubair said the the man in jail is not the owner, but a shareholder. "This is a public holding company and the director is present."

The CJP intervened to say that, "You have cut off power of half the city. The company that bought KE will be investigated. What are its resources? How was KE purchased? How does it operate?" He added that Karachi's people were suffering because it had a monopoly on the power supply.

When told that Jamaat-e-Islami's petition against KE was also pending, the court summoned the petition for hearing.

Removal of billboards

The court separately issued a written order regarding the removal of billboards in Karachi and sought a report on its implementation from the Karachi commissioner within four weeks. It also directed the relevant authorities to formulate laws for billboard installation and sought a notification from the government in this connection at the next hearing.

The order states that the commissioner would be responsible for billboard billboards across the city, even in areas falling under cantonment boards. It further directs district municipal corporations to inspect billboards on private properties and remove those found dangerous.

Besides, the bench directed the commissioner to complete the verification of resettlement claims by those displaced by Karachi Circular Railway's restoration and submit a report.