HYDERABAD: The judicial commission formed by the Supreme Court (SC) on clean water and sanitation in Sindh has ordered instituting inquiries into dysfunctional drainage schemes in the rural parts of Thatta and Tando Allahyar districts and stopping payments related to the schemes.

Retired apex court judge Amir Hani Muslim, who is heading the commission, visited drainage schemes in the two districts on Tuesday and Wednesday along with members of a task force formed on the directives of the SC. Task force chairman Jamal Mustafa Syed accompanied him along with commission’s registrar Ghulam Mustafa Channa.

On Wednesday, the commission visited the village of Singhar Soomro in Tando Allahyar to inspect the rural drainage scheme and found ponds incomplete. The dykes need compaction and commission took note of it. Justice Muslim ordered that the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) chief executive officer (CEO) should provide electricity to the scheme for which payment had already been made.

He asked the Tando Allahyar deputy commissioner (DC), through his assistant commissioner, to ensure that the scheme should start functioning. The DC would also find out whether some donor had donated the land for the rural scheme and in the meantime the DC should ensure a temporary arrangement for disposal of drainage.

At Massu Bozdar drainage scheme, foundation of structure was not in proper shape. The commission directed the DC to visit the scheme regularly and submit report in a week’s time regarding its proper functioning.

The secretary of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), as per commission’s directive, would formulate a policy to ensure employment of one person at every such scheme where the land was donated by any philanthropist. Such employees should be hired on work-charge basis across Sindh. The commission also visited Tando Soomro scheme which was lying incomplete and directives were issued for the DC in this regard. He would submit a compliance report to the commission.

On Tuesday, the commission visited Mirpur Sakro drainage scheme which was found abandoned. Its contract was awarded to a man, Mukhtiar Palijo, who left work after pocketing money. Collecting tanks were not rehabilitated and there was no machinery while the transformer was removed.

The Thatta DC was ordered to hold an inquiry into removal of transformer and he would submit a report in seven days. The contractor was ordered to appear before the commission on July 23.

A water supply scheme was also found abandoned despite expenditure of Rs6 million to Rs7m. The PHED secretary was directed to hold an inquiry into the ill-planned scheme. It also ordered to stop all payments forthwith.

The same contractor (Mukhtiar) had abandoned another drain even after getting payment for one component of the scheme. The contractor as well as PHED officers would bring papers on July 23 to justify how advance payments were made.

The commission also directed the chief engineer to produce record of the schemes awarded to Mukhtiar Palijo in Thatta and Sujawal districts. A detail of completed schemes should be produced and also of those abandoned by him even after receiving payment in advance, the commission said. The Thatta DC was also ordered to hold an independent inquiry and submit a report in the matter.

The commission also visited the reverse osmosis (RO) water supply scheme in Mirpur Sakro. The PHED would provide technical assistance for the scheme under supervision of the Thatta DC who would release funds. He would also monitor completion of the pump house.

The assistant executive engineer informed the commission that the work was assigned to Mukhtiar Palijo, who was paid the entire amount but he did not provide machinery.

The commission asked the Thatta SSP to ensure attendance of the contractor before it on July 23. At Makli water supply scheme, the commission asked the DC to supervise provision of proper electricity. It ordered that a 150kV generator lying idle at Makli waterworks should be shifted to filter plant Makli under supervision of the town officer Makli. He should be responsible for its safe custody, the commission said.

About Mirpur Sakro drainage scheme in the union council of Buharo, the commission was informed that payment for the scheme was made in June 2016, but the contractor abandoned the contract and a final show-cause notice was issued to him.

Zafar Ali, chairman of Buharo UC, said the machine installed at the pumping station of zone-A had been stolen.

The commission directed the Thatta SSP to lodge FIR, arrest persons responsible for the theft and recover machine to be installed at the pumping station.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018