HYDERABAD, May 27: The Sindh irrigation secretary on Thursday submitted his statement before the chief secretary, holding the Water and Sanitation Agency responsible for supply of contaminated water to residents of the district.
The irrigation secretary, Bashir Dahar, said that Wasa should have tested raw water before drawing it from the River Indus for their settlement tanks. He confirmed to Dawn that he submitted his written statement and also replied to queries of Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakal Kazi on the issue.
Mr Dahar said that he told the chief secretary that Wasa should have stopped supply of water to people since it was contaminated. He also handed over maps and his report to Dr Kazi.
The irrigation secretary said that he told Dr Kazi that in the wake of warnings by the meteorological department about heavy downpour and cyclone, five gates of the Aral Wah, emanating from Manchhar, were checked for maintenance purpose so that they could be operated at the right time.
He said that during the course of opening of gates, 200 to 250 cusecs of water might have entered the Indus. He added that it took the irrigation department three days to carry out the maintenance work.
He referred to a last year incident in which a regulator of the Ghora Bari out fall drain had to be cut as drain water overflowed, inundating agricultural lands. Mr Dahar said that had this maintenance not been carried out and cyclone had hit the region, the irrigation department would have been blamed for losses.
He said that in Jamshoro a pharmaceutical company also released its effluent into the Indus river on regular basis. Wasa managing director Kaeel Ahmad Khanzada also submitted his statement as per directives of the chief secretary, listing a number of financial problems being faced by Wasa.
He said that Wasa could not treat saline water. Mr Khanzada said that under the Rs500 million governor's package and the Rs10 billion Hyderabad Development Package, upgradation of the treatment plan had been proposed but the funds for the purpose had not yet been released.
FUNDS REFUSED: The Hyderabad District Council on Wednesday refused to approve re-appropriation of funds to different district government departments. The members accused district officials of committing irregularities and said that the re-appropriation of the funds was being sought when the fiscal year was about to end.
As the convener referred the re-appropriation matter to the council, several members rose on their seats to protest as to why EDOs were asking for re-appropriation of funds that had been utilized.
Dr Ayaz Arain and Yousuf Qureshi said that details that under which head the funds had been spent for which re-appropriation was being sought from the council had not been given by the EDOs. They said that the members had asked the EDOs for reports but they had not submitted the same before the council.
They said that the EDOs should have briefed the convener before seeking re-appropriation of the funds. Convener Nawab Rashid Ali Khan asked the council officer to seek details of re-appropriation of the funds from the EDOs.
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