THATTA: A judicial commission, recently formed by the Supreme Court to probe the state’s failure in providing clean drinking water and sanitation facilities to the people of Sindh, upbraided administration officials after witnessing poor state of water reservoirs, pumping stations and drainage system in Thatta and Makli on Monday.

The commission head, Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro of the Sindh High Court, expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the departments concerned and remarked: “For what wrong over 200,000 population of Thatta and Makli are deprived of smooth supply of clean drinking water as 95 per cent of the towns’ residents are compelled to buy water for daily use?”

Advocate Shahab Usto, whose petition was instrumental for the formation of the commission, also accompanied Justice Kalhoro besides water technologist Ahsan Siddiqui, Thatta district and sessions judge Abdul Naeem Memon, Hyderabad Commissioner Qazi Shahid Pervez, president and general secretary of Thatta Bar Association Advocate Punhoon Uqaili, Liaquat Jamali and others, during the judge’s visit of water supply and drainage installations. The commission also collected water samples for laboratory examination.

Justice Kalhoro convened a meeting after the visit of citizens, lawyers and members of civil society in the court of district and sessions judge and inquired about the situation.

Justice Kalhoro called Thatta DC Mirza Nasir Ali, engineer of special initiatives department Abdul Haleem Memon, Thatta chief municipal officer Qazi Fayaz and executive engineer of public health engineering department Noor Ahmed Jalbani and made them stand in the balustrade to respond to queries.

When Justice Kalhoro asked the officials why the administration had deprived over 200,000 population of clean drinking water and inquired about major water supply sources for the towns, the officers could not come up with a satisfactory reply.

The DC, however, gave a reluctant answer and said after a brief pause that K.B. Feeder was the main source of water supply but the petitioner, Mr Usto, and his colleague Mr Uqaili disputed the official’s claim and said the towns were getting water from Sakro Branch, Jam Wah, Thatto Naali and Machki Naali, not from K.B. Feeder.

Councillor Ghulam Hussain and general secretary of district bar association Liaquat Jamari informed the commission that almost entire population was getting unfiltered and un-chlorinated water and a majority of residents were compelled to purchase water which was being supplied to them from Thatta outfall drain and saline water drain.

The officials finally disclosed that there was no filtration plant in Thatta and Makli, on which Justice Kalhoro observed that the bureaucracy had shown its traditional attitude towards the general public.

“You, the bureaucrats, don’t even know the names of water supply sources to the towns under your care. You are in the habit of sitting in your offices and always engaged in making fake vouchers. Who has given you the right to deprive people even of clean water?” he asked.

He asked the special initiatives department officials about the number of reverse osmosis plants in the district but they, too, failed to respond, drawing the ire of the judge who directed them to immediately provide facts to the commission.

Justice Kalhoro directed to issue summons to the CEO of the Pak Oasis company, which installed the RO plants, and asked the commissioner to ensure chlorination of water being supplied to citizens.

He also asked the district and sessions judge to seek reports on the subject from the departments concerned.

The petitioner said that citizens of the historic towns were being supplied highly contaminated water which was causing hepatitis, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases.

He said that he and his colleagues would move the National Accountability Bureau on the basis of final reports of the commission to call for probe into irregularities and corruption in the projects of water supply and drainage in Sindh.

The commission was scheduled to present its report to the SC within six weeks.

Judge visits water supply, drainage installations

KHAIRPUR: The district and sessions judge Ghulam Shah visited water supply and drainage installations in the city on Monday under the directives of the SC commission and expressed dissatisfaction over quality of water being supplied to the citizens.

He collected water samples for laboratory tests and said its report would be sent to the commission.

Published in Dawn February 7th, 2017