The people of the desert district of Tharparkar would have been overjoyed when they would have seen reverse osmosis (RO) plants being set up in their towns and villages to supply potable water free of cost, however, over half of these plants never worked.
Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, in a visit to Thar found a two million gallon per day (MGD) RO plant in Mithi town and 1.5 MGD RO plant in Islamkot town non-functional.
He ordered the completion of pending inquiries against the contracting firm, Oslo, so that the firm could be prosecuted and funds amounting to Rs380 million and Rs80million of electricity liabilities respectively could be recovered.
Baqar, visited Tharparkar district accompanied by caretaker Information Minister Ahmad Shah. During the visit to the solar desalination plant complex in Mithi, the Chief Minister discovered that the solar desalination plant, inaugurated in January 2015, had been non-operational for the past eight years. The plant, initially managed by the Sindh Energy Department and later handed over to PHED Tharparkar, faced neglect, resulting in rusted machinery. The contracting firm, Oslo, was responsible for the plant's operation but left it in a dysfunctional state, accumulating an Rs80 million electricity bill. To address the situation, the Chief Minister ordered a forensic audit of Oslo's expenditures on the plant. The plant requires membrane replacement, equipment refurbishment, and clearing the outstanding electricity bill before restoration efforts can begin.
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The CM visited the 1.5 MGD Islamkot RO Plant inaugurated in January 2015. Sindh Coal Authority installed the plant for Rs388.6174 million. The plant has a 650 KVA transformer, a 650 KVA generator and eight tube wells. It is designed to produce 25,000 gallons per hour. The plant has been out of order for a long time.
Mithi (December 20th, 2023) Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (R) Maqbool Baqar visits Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plant, Islamkot. pic.twitter.com/BZwFMgo5mG
— Sindh Chief Minister House (@SindhCMHouse) December 20, 2023
The CM was told that the district Tharparkar has 834 RO plants, out of them 555 were out of order.
The chief minister visited Govt Boys High School in Islamkot, finding an enrollment of 1,671 students with only 19 teachers. During the visit, classrooms revealed a lack of basic knowledge in English and science among students. The Education Director, who had never inspected the school, was called by the CM. The school's lab was in disrepair, with no practicals conducted, and the computer lab lacked an IT teacher, with some systems untouched since 2008. The CM expressed dissatisfaction with the Education Minister and School Education Secretary for the school's dire state, affecting the students' well-being.
Mithi (December 20th, 2023) Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (R) Maqbool Baqar visits Government Boys High School, Islamkot. pic.twitter.com/TB48Ag73jV
— Sindh Chief Minister House (@SindhCMHouse) December 20, 2023
Marvi's Well
Baqar and his team visited Marvis' well at Bhalva village. He went to Marvi's well which still had water. The water was taken out of the well and shown to the CM. According to the folklore, Marvi, a young Khaskheli girl of the Panhwar tribe, was abducted by the then-ruler of Amarkot, Umar Soomro, who wanted to marry her because of her beauty. Upon her refusal, she was imprisoned in the historic Amarkot Fort for several years. Because of her courage, Marvi is regarded as a symbol of love for one's soil and homeland.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2023.
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