SHC orders closure of illegal hydrants in 4 weeks

SHC directed the deputy inspectors general of police of the east and west zones to personally monitor illegal hydrants

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the deputy inspectors general of police of the east and west zones on Friday to personally monitor illegal hydrants and have them closed within four weeks.

“The SHOs of the police stations concerned have been put on notice that in case of complaints about illegal hydrants, they would be implicated as one of accused,” observed the SHC division bench comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board managing director had filed a petition against the Sindh government and police officials for not filing FIRs against suspects involved in water theft.

The board’s counsel, Abrar Hasan submitted that Karachi is suffering from the menace of illegal hydrants being run in different parts of city by a resourceful tanker mafia. These groups are making millions by selling water through tankers, causing irreparable damage to the board’s infrastructure.

The KWSB cracked down on some of the illegal hydrants, but the mafia managed to have them running again.

Eventually, a massive crackdown by the KWSB, Rangers and police was launched against illegal hydrants in the jurisdiction of Ibrahim Hyderi, Zaman Town, Sukhia Goth, Sindhi Muslim Society, Shamim Crush Plant, Gulistan-e-Tauheed, New Karachi, Manghopir and Landhi police stations in September 2009.

But from that point onwards, no action was taken against them. The counsel requested that FIRs be registered against the operators of illegal hydrants and legal action taken against them.

On Friday, an inspector filed a statement on behalf of Zia Arif Janjua, deputy superintendent of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, stating that they had nothing to do with the distribution of drinking water. The SHOs of Zaman Town, Sharafi Goth, Manghopir, North Karachi and Ibrahim Hyderi police stations also appeared before the court.

The SHC division bench said, “We must record our displeasure over the mismanagement of water distribution in Karachi. We put the SHOs concerned on notice that in case of complaints, they would also be implicated as one of the accused.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2010.