KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated commission on water and sanitation on Tuesday came down hard on officials of the Defence Housing Authority over disposal of untreated sewage into the sea and directed them to submit to it the original plan of the DHA and details of the operational and planned sewage treatment plants.

The commission, headed by former SC judge Justice Amir Hani Muslim, said that during his recent visit he saw four points around Seaview beach where untreated sewage was allowed to fall into the sea, polluting the beach.

The commission inquired about the town planning and treatment plants when an additional director of engineering projects and an adviser on the DHA projects appeared before it.

Censures KWSB MD for failing to comply with its orders

They replied that one treatment plant was functioning and four others were being planned. However, Justice Muslim confronted them regarding the active plant and they conceded that originally there was a functional treatment plant, which was abandoned after it was handed over to the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC).

Justice Muslim asked under what law the untreated sewage was being released into the sea.

At one stage, the commission said the defence secretary could be summoned over pollution on the beach and directed an official of the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources to collect samples from all the four points for an analysis after the DHA officials insisted that it was not sewage but storm-drain water.

The commission directed the officials to produce the original plan of the DHA with details about the areas where treatment plants were planned to be installed by May 15.

The commission said the DHA and CBC officials sought a week to undertake the exercise and resolve these issues, adding that if the same was not settled, the matter would be taken up on May 15 for further orders.

KWSB told to implement orders within a week

Justice Muslim directed the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) managing director to enforce all the directives of the commission within a week and asked Asif Haider Shah, a member of the task force, to take out all orders from the record and communicate them to the KWSB chief. In case of non-compliance, he will fix the responsibility and submit a report on May 15.

Advocate Shahab Usto, who petitioned the apex court on water and sanitation issues in Sindh, told the commission that the KWSB had repeatedly been overlooking its orders.

The commission also observed that the KWSB MD failed to comply with its orders and directed him to turn up on May 14 with a plausible explanation, or face prosecution.

Cleaning of storm-water drains

The commission directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to immediately start cleaning storm-water drains after the formalities were completed.

The KMC officials said they had hired technical experts to make the cleaning drive effective.

It observed that the footpaths and roads around Empress Market were also encroached upon by pushcarts and directed the KMC to remove the encroachments with the help of police and other law enforcement agencies within a week. The deputy commissioner (South) and the SSP concerned would be responsible for preventing encroachments from reappearing on these roads and footpaths, it added.

Plea about K-IV

The commission issued notices to the attorney general and additional advocate general on an application against alleged realignment in the K-IV project till May 14.

Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, representing a resident of Usman Allah Rakhio Goth in Gadap Town, submitted that the alignment of the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme, better known as K-IV, approved in 2016 was the only straight and shortest possible and time/money saving route.

However, he contended that realignment of the project was based on mala fide intention to achieve ulterior motives and to benefit Bahria Town. He requested the commission to set aside the realignment of K-IV.

Conversion of parking lots

The commission expressed displeasure over utilisation of parking lots of buildings for commercial and residential purposes and parking vehicles outside the buildings.

It ordered the director general of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the cantonment boards to ensure in their jurisdictions that parking lots must not be used for purposes other than parking.

Directions for police

Chairman of the task force Jamal Mustafa Syed, who is also the secretary for irrigation, told the commission that the content of a complaint regarding a shortage of water in a village was correct as at least there were seven major irregularities in the project. The commission directed the irrigation department to get an FIR registered and asked the police to take cognizance of these offences.

The chairman of the task force also complained that neither police extended any support in Moro when an officer of the irrigation department was injured during an operation nor they arrested the culprits.

The commission directed the provincial police officer to issue stern directives to the SSPs concerned, who received complaints from the irrigation department, to extend full support to the officials of the irrigation department. In case of non-compliance, action would be recommended against the police officers concerned, it added.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2018