KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed municipal authorities to ensure completion of all formalities before granting permission to dig up roads for laying water, sewer and other lines.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi further said that contractors must be bound to complete such works, including carpeting of roads/ streets within shortest possible time and as per terms of award/contract without causing any inconvenience to the public.

All standard operating procedures should also be observed in this regard and in case of nonconformity, strict action must be taken against such contractors, it added.

The bench made these observations while disposing of two petitions filed by some area residents against a water connection granted to a private hospital in North Nazimabad after parties concerned reached a settlement.

Residents’ plea against private hospital’s water connection disposed of after parties reached settlement

Some area residents had petitioned the SHC last year and contended that the KWSB had issued sanction certificate of two-inch line to Ziauddin Hospital in addition to an earlier water connection, but the medical facility was connecting four-inch line from bottom of main 48-inch pumping line.

They also argued that the official respondents with the connivance of the management of the private hospital had dug out around 1.5 kilometres of road from KDA Chowrangi to the hospital creating serious nuisance to residents.

However, the KWSB and other respondents contended that two-inch line was sanctioned and they also denied allegations about an earlier connection main of 48-inch line.

Earlier, the court nazir in his report asserted that the water connection in question was in accordance with the approval of the KWSB and counsel for the hospital expressed willingness to make an attempt to resolve the issue amicably.

Thereafter, a meeting of all stakeholders was held at the office of deputy commissioner of central in which an executive engineer of the KWSB undertook that after execution of two-inch line to hospital, if there was a shortage of water to the areas of petitioners, additional water will be provided to such areas to fulfil the requirement.

However, the counsel for the petitioners submitted that disposal of petitions must be without prejudice to the legality of the water connection in question and in case of water shortage, petitioners may be allowed to approach the SHC again.

The lawyers further asked the bench to direct respondents to ensure that proposed water connection should be given as per sanction certificate (two-inch line) and work be completed within shortest possible time.

The DC and officials of KWSB assured the bench that work of water connection would be completed as per law and in line with sanction certificate and within shortest possible time without causing any inconvenience to the public.

“Before parting with the order, we may observe that all the official authorities and departments, including officials of KWSB, shall ensure before granting any permission of road cutting and approval(s) of KMC, KDA and DMC/DCs, for the purposes of giving water connections, laying sewerage lines or for laying underground telephone/cables etc after completion of all codal formalities, whereas, the contractors shall be bound to complete the work as per terms of the contract/award, whereas, all the SOPs shall be observed so that such work shall be completed within shortest possible time, without causing any inconvenience to the residents of such area and the public at large,” the bench in its order said.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2023