KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated commission on water and sanitation on Monday once again directed the defence secretary to appear before it on June 4 or nominate a senior ministry official to make a statement about the installation of sewage treatment plants and supply of water in the Defence Housing Authority.

The head of the commission, retried SC Justice Amir Hani Muslim, observed that there were serious problems of sewage discharge and distribution of potable water in the DHA and it could not be resolved in the absence of the defence secretary or his nominee.

On May 21, the commission had directed the defence secretary to furnish an undertaking for DHA Phase-I to VII assuring it of installation of a sewerage treatment plant to cater to the sewage from these phases and to connect all sewerage pipes/lines of Phase-VIII with the treatment plant installed near Creek Vista within four months after he remained unable to appear before the commission.

SBCA chief told to appear before commission today with betterment charges’ cheques

At the outset, an undertaking of the defence secretary was submitted by Additional Attorney General Salman Talibuddin, which was taken on record.

However, Justice Muslim said that after hearing the additional attorney general, DHA secretary, chief executive officer of the Cantonment Board Clifton and others, the commission was of the view that in the absence of the defence secretary or his nominee, the issue of sewerage and distribution of water could not be resolved.

“Therefore, the secretary defence shall appear either himself on 4th June 2018 or nominate any of his subordinate not below the rank of a joint secretary having the authority to make statement on behalf of the ministry,” the commission ruled.

It further said that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) managing director also made a statement that it was not easy for them to regulate supply to various cantonments and other installations and therefore the intervention of the ministry was required.

The commission ruled that not a single drop of untreated sewage would be discharged into the sea by restaurants located in the Seaview area.

It added that the restaurants should lift the untreated sewage from the septic tanks of the restaurants through bowsers at their cost and the same must only be discharged through the treatment plant of Phase-VIII.

It warned that this process must be started immediately and in case any restaurant failed to do so, it would be restrained from functioning forthwith.

The commission also put the DHA secretary on notice and ruled that this arrangement would be temporary and in the intervening period the DHA must connect the sewerage lines of all such restaurants with regular sewerage lines of Phase-VI.

It also granted two-month time to the DHA for connecting the sewerage lines of the restaurants with Phase-VIII and sought a compliance report.

Initially, the commission had summoned the defence secretary after Justice Muslim, during a visit, found four points around Seaview where untreated sewage was allowed to fall into the sea while the restaurants at Seaview and Do Darya also had no mechanism of lifting solid or liquid waste which was also drained directly into the sea.

Order to expedite work on K-IV

After hearing the chairman of the planning and development board and the K-IV project director, the commission observed that the work needed to be expedited as far as the K-IV project was concerned.

It stated that the components of the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme, better known as K-IV, which needed to be installed and were missing in the PC-I should be processed through independent PCs as per rules.

The PC-I of the augmentation plant had been submitted to the local government department and the P&D chairman said that he would make efforts to see that the plan was submitted to the P&D, it added.

The K-IV project director informed the commission that the PC-I of ancillary services and missing components was under preparation and by the end of next week it would be finalised and submitted to the local government secretary.

The commission further observed that the issue of a power plant to run the project also needed to be expedited as it was one of the most significant factors for making the project functional.

SBCA chief summoned

The commission directed the director general of the Sindh Building Control Authority to appear before it on Tuesday (today) along with the cheques of betterment charges for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the KWSB.

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar told the commission that the betterment charges of the KMC and KWSB had not been released. The commission observed that despite the regular directives, SBCA DG had wilfully avoided compliance.

On receipt of this amount, it would be utilised only for essential services like sanitation, clean water supply, firefighting or equipment for sanitation and not for any other purpose, it concluded.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2018