Illegal water hydrants case: Chief secretary summoned to explain delay in payment to contractors

KW&SB MD appeared and told the judges that there are sufficient pipelines in Karachi to supply water to everyone

KARACHI:

The Supreme Court (SC) has summoned the provincial chief secretary on Thursday (today) to explain why payments are not being made to those contractors who are illegally operating water hydrants to recover their dues of water they supplied to the displaced persons in relief camps after the super flood of 2010. The payments have been outstanding since then.

A two-member bench, comprising justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Maqbool Baqar, was hearing a human rights application against illegal operation of the water hydrants that cause water shortage in Karachi.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) managing director Misbahuddin Farid appeared and told the judges that there are sufficient pipelines in Karachi to supply water to all the localities.

The water utility’s chief said, however, that a number of cases filed by the contractors are pending in the Sindh High Court, wherein the stay orders are operating against the dismantling of the illegal or legal water hydrants. Hence, his hands are tied, observed the judges.

Farid was of the opinion that if all the relevant authorities, including the police and Rangers, cooperate with him and the outstanding dues of the contractors are paid, the water board will be in a position to ensure that not even a single water tanker can be plied on the streets of the metropolis.

Suggestion

In his report, the KW&SB managing director suggested that a committee be constituted, comprising the representatives of the Army Headquarters 5 Corps, the Rangers, the Defence Housing Authority, the cantonment boards, the KW&SB, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the Transparency International and at least three industries. The committee may be directed to ascertain requirement of the actual number of hydrants with their locations along with other criteria.

Order

In the circumstances of the case, the apex court issued a notice to the chief secretary to be present in person today so that the state of pending payments to the contractors can be resolved. Adjourning the hearing, the judges also directed the KW&SB managing director to be present at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2015.