PHC orders: Disposing waste in canals may become punishable offence

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed secretary irrigation to draft a bill which makes waste disposal in canals a punishable offense.

The orders were issued by a PHC bench comprising Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Irshad Qaisar during a suo motu notice hearing. Suo motu notice was taken following reports of rusted pipelines supplying contaminated drinking water to households.

The bench was informed that Rs8 billion had been sanctioned by USAID for replacing the pipelines.

Work will commence after approval of the feasibility report and the first phase will be completed within the next three years. All bulk water supply lines will be separated from the sewerage lines to ensure contaminated water does not flow into pipes supplying drinking water.

The director general of the Environmental Protection Agency also appeared before the court and said all 12 terms of references set by the court will be complied with in the shortest possible time.

Secretary Irrigation Muhammad Ishfaq Khan told the bench that fences have been erected on all sides of the three major city canals. The bench observed the fences should be raised higher.

It directed Khan to draft the bill and send it to the Law and Parliamentary Affairs department to get it tabled before the provincial assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2013.