HCSTSI chief decries poor infrastructure

Calls for public-private partnerships, and urgent action on canal pollution

KARACHI:

Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI) President Muhammad Farooq Shaikhani has called for measures to modernise Hyderabad’s infrastructure, aiming to foster sustainable growth in both industrial and residential areas. He stressed the need for public-private partnerships to revolutionise urban development.

In a statement on Tuesday, Shaikhani urged the government to adopt innovative approaches for progress, discarding outdated methods. He highlighted the poor road infrastructure as a hindrance to the growth of Sindh’s second-largest city after Karachi. Despite long-standing complaints from businesspeople about injustice and inadequate facilities, no action has been taken.

Shaikhani raised concerns about canal pollution due to sewage contamination, attributing it to insufficient planning within the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Hyderabad. Issuing a warning he said that contaminated water from the River Indus and the canal system poses serious health risks to people and livestock, urging immediate remedial action.

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Additionally, Shaikhani addressed a letter to Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, urging revolutionary actions to address the challenges faced by WASA Hyderabad. Highlighting statistics revealed by WASA during a crucial meeting with the Caretaker former Chief Minister of Sindh, Justice (R) Maqbool Baqir, and Caretaker former Provincial Minister for Local Government, Mubeen Jumani, Shaikhani noted that Hyderabad has 2,500 contractual employees, many of whom are considered ‘ghost’ workers. Furthermore, a staggering number of over 50,000 water supply connections of WASA are unlawfully utilised in the city. Shaikhani advocated for a transformative approach, suggesting the replacement of ‘ghost’ employees with private workers for a more efficient sewerage system.

He also proposed implementing a biometric attendance system to meticulously monitor employee presence, thereby eliminating ‘ghost’ workers from the system.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2024.

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