Stagnant floodwaters draw court’s ire

Official supposed to file report on flood relief operation seeks more time

HYDRABAD:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has summoned Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput to explain why neither the orders of the court to drain rain and flood water have been followed nor the promises and assurances given by the provincial government in this regard ever materialised.

The Hyderabad circuit bench of justices Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Adnan-ul-Karim Memon on Thursday issued a show cause notice to the chief secretary's focal person Dr Saeed Ahmed Qureshi for his absence at the hearing.

"Fall claims were made by the government functionaries and the representatives of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) that all the areas have been dewatered, but nothing has been done," the court observed.

The bench referred to several areas like Khairpur Nathan Shah, Thari Mirwah, Tando Adam and Bhan Saeedabad, which are still deluged and where the people are still surviving on the roads.

"The Additional Advocate General Sindh and other officers are not able to rebut these assertions," the court noted in its order.

The court was hearing eight identical petitions concerning the drainage of flood water, provision of relief and rehabilitation measures.

On October 20, the bench ordered the Auditor General to conduct a forensic audit of the Sindh government's funds spent, which have been released and utilised on the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the people besides the drainage and irrigation works.

However, the judges noted that the auditor general's office has taken no action in compliance with the court's direction.

At the last hearing, the focal person Dr Qureshi had sought one month for submission of the progress report about the Sindh government's initiatives for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people, their houses, farms and livestock animals.

He was supposed to furnish an interim report in 15 days. However, he did not appear before the bench on Thursday along with the interim report, prompting the dismay of the court and issuance of a show cause notice.

During the hearing, the counsels of the petitioners complained that the government has completely disregarded the SHC's multiple orders with regard to drainage and relief.

The hearing was adjourned to December 14 with the directions to the Sindh Chief Secretary to appear in person.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2022.