NEWSCLIPPINGS
JULY TO DECEMBER 2017
SEWERAGE & DRAINAGE
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Drainage systems fail; DMCs, KMC nowhere in sight
As water started to recede from the streets and thoroughfares of the city, it exposed a sorry condition of the roads that had been submerged in water for several hours.
Rangers‘ officials, along with machinery and police personnel, were seen Thursday night doing rescue work on the roads of the city.
The main thoroughfares, including II Chundrigar Road, University Road, Sharae Quaideen, Sharae Pakistan, Khayaban-e-Bahria, Khayban-e-Shahbaz and the road near the high court had pot holes, while a few of them remained inundated till Friday evening.
Karachi braces for rain as Met dept predicts showers across country Advertisement Ad After the heavy downpour on Thursday night, social media was flooded with pictures and videos of the newly-built Tariq Road and University Road, showing the flood on one track of Tariq Road coming from Bahadurabad towards Allah Wali Chowrangi. Meanwhile, on the newly-built section of University Road from Hassan Square till Nipa, the road was submerged in eight inches of rainwater.
―These two new roads can sustain the rain water, as both have storm water drains and are newly-built,‖ claimed on Thursday evening District East Chairperson Moeed Anwar.
Karachi swamped – and paralysed However, to his surprise both roads were submerged by late night.
Niaz Soomro, director of the recently formed local government directorate which was responsible for making these two projects, shared that the situation was not so bad. The water had accumulated since the rain was very heavy. However, one must also notice how fast the water was drained out, Soomro commented, claiming there must be some sort of blockage in the drains, otherwise it would have functioned better.
A portion of the road in Essa Nagri near Hassan Square caved in, blocking traffic movement towards Nazimabad and Liaquatabad. However, repair work is ongoing.
Karachi inundated as monsoon ‘preparations’ fail Meanwhile, the situation in District Central, in areas surrounding its main storm water drain, Gujjar Nullah, remained deteriorated as it had overflown even before the heavy downpour of Thursday night.
DMC Central Chairperson Rehan Hashmi admitted the situation had gotten out of control and said they have imposed an emergency in the area.
II Chundrigar Road Considered the business hub of the city, II Chundrigar Road was mostly inundated.
DMC South Chairperson Malik Fayyaz told The Express Tribune that he had already told the media that several of the storm water drains in his area required cleaning, but the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) never cooperated with DMC South.
Roads in Malir, Korangi, Gulzar-e-Hijri, North Nazimabad and MA Jinnah Road and Sharae Pakistan were also badly affected by the rain.
Lack of rain brings clouds of drought to Cholistan ―We are not satisfied with the situation of the city,‖ said Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra.
The situation got out of control as most of the storm water drains were filled with garbage and other solid waste material, he said, adding that the dumping of solid waste in storm water drains should be declared a criminal act and the DMC chairperson should get magisterial powers to arrest culprits. (By SHEHARYAR ALI The Express Tribune 14, 01/07/2017)
A week after rain: SC orders cleanliness in Karachi
The Supreme Court (SC) took on Tuesday notice of the failure of the provincial and local authorities concerned to maintain cleanliness in the city after the first spell of the pre-monsoon rain wreaked havoc to the civic infrastructure.
The apex court verbally directed the provincial chief secretary to ensure the city was cleaned of the filth as well as stagnant rainwater, which had submerged various thoroughfares and localities.
A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, gave these directions during the hearing of a case regarding encroachments over the bank of a canal in Sukkur, at the SC‘s Karachi Registry Branch.
Advertisement Ad Karachi braces for rain as Met dept predicts showers across country Heavy rains had lashed the metropolis starting last Thursday, as the pre-monsoon system entered the region, resulting in heavy rains across the country.
The rains exposed the efficiency of the civic agencies in the city, where the tug-of-war between the Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial government and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-led Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had created hurdles in proper lifting and disposal of the garbage as well as cleaning of the major sewerage and rainwater drains.
The maladministration, on part of the provincial and local authorities, had led to poor pre-monsoon arrangements to cope with the rainy monsoon season.
Skies open up as Karachi experiences first monsoon shower Several residential localities as well as the commercial district in downtown had submerged under several feet of rainwater mixed with sewerage.
The apex court‘s bench, which also included Justices Maqbool Baqar and Sajjad Ali Shah, found that the poor sanitation conditions had not improved even after the lapse of a whole week.
Therefore, they took notice of the poor drainage system that had led to the inundation of the main road in front of the apex court‘s registry branch.
The judges inquired from the chief secretary, Rizwan Memon, who was appearing in court in connection with other cases, on why the administration had failed to effectively cope with the situation that arose post-rains in the city.
Surprise rain drenches Karachi; six dead Justice Gulzar Ahmed told the top provincial bureaucrat that there were several localities, which had almost submerged during the rain.
The judge further told the officer that according to media reports, the residents in Korangi and other parts of the city were even unable to get out of their houses.
He inquired from the chief secretary why he had not paid a visit to such localities, where citizens were facing great difficulty after the rain. ―You will have to visit such areas in a boat,‖ the judge remarked.
―Alright,‖ Memon replied, adding that the city will soon be cleaned.
―Nothing is alright,‖ the apex court bench‘s head told the officer.
It’s raining in Karachi and no one can handle it ―The city is in a bad condition,‖ Justice Ahmed said, drawing attention of the top provincial government officer, who is supposed to supervise and look after civil works in the entire province.
The bench members expressed their extreme displeasure over the poor state of administration, which had not fulfilled its duties to remove the filth as well as ensure smooth flow of the sewerage water in the drains, which were overflowing and inundating various roads, streets, main arteries as well as commercial and residential areas across the city.
The bench directed Memon to get the city cleaned of the mess created during last week‘s rains.
The bench also gave two weeks time to the Sindh Building Control Authority and other officials to file comments regarding the ownership of 4.7 acres of land along the canal in Sukkur which was allegedly encroached by private persons. (By Naeem Sahoutara The Express Tribune 13, 05/07/2017)
Protest against KWSB drive
A large number of people gathered at the Banaras Bridge on Friday and staged a demonstration against the disconnection of a water connection carried out by the water utility staffers after much difficulty and with police help on Thursday. The protesters demanded that the connection be restored immediately.
The demonstrators were claiming that the disconnected connection was legal, while the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board spokesperson, responding Dawn‘s queries, insisted that the connection was an illegal one and would not be restored. Many areas were facing severe water shortage as their water was being stolen through the illegal connection, the spokesperson added.
The traffic remained suspended for a considerable time on Friday afternoon owing to the demonstration. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the city administration and area police with whose assistance the water board staffers had cut the illegal water connection a day earlier.
Despite repeated attempts Pirabad police chief Mohammad Mithal could not be contacted.
Advertisement Earlier, on Thursday the staffers of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board accompanied by the city administration and area police, on second attempt, had disconnected an illegal connection from the water board‘s main line.
Residents of Frontier Colony and other localities in the vicinity were suffering owing to the illegal connection.
Responding to Dawn‘s queries, a KWSB spokesperson said when the water board‘s disconnection squad, accompanied by area police and the city administration, started excavation to disconnect the illegal connection taken from the 48-inch main pipeline near Banaras Bridge on Wednesday people benefitting from the illegal connection gathered and tried to stop the work.
He said that many miscreants gathered at the excavation site and started chanting slogans in a bid to stop the work. Later on they started pelting stones, which shattered the windows of the water board‘s excavator. Sensing more trouble, the excavation was called off. The spokesperson said the water board‘s team, again accompanied by the police and city administration officials, made the second attempt during the night between Wednesday and Thursday, and disconnected the 10-inch illegal connection. (By Bhagwandas Dawn 19, 08/07/2017)
Ahead of the rains: Residents in despair as promises of restoring Gujjar Nullah fall short
As the probability of another rain spell hitting the city increases, residents in localities surrounding the Gujjar Nullah fear urban flooding.
Stretching from North Karachi till Liaquatabad, the 13-kilometre-long Gujjar Nullah is one of the key storm water drains in Karachi‘s District Central. However, due to encroachments and solid waste that has accumulated inside it, these days the nullah is unable to sustain the flow of water and nearby localities remained inundated even several days after the rain.
In the 2017-18 provincial budget, Rs250 million has been allocated for the unapproved project of revamping of the Gujjar Nullah and construction of a service road on either side. The total cost of the project has been estimated at Rs1 billion and the project is targeted to be completed in 2019.
Karachi inundated as monsoon ‘preparations’ fail Earlier, the municipality officials had claimed that the nullah was in working condition. Officials of District Central, including Deputy Commissioner Fariduddin Mustafa, were confident that it could sustain rainfall of over 100 millimetres. Mustafa had also told the Express Tribune that in an operation against encroachments, 14,000 houses that had been illegally built upon the nullah were demolished without paying any compensation and only few of the illegal houses remainined as their cases was pending before the court. He had also shared that work to construct roads on either side of the nullah would start soon.
However, after the recent rainfall, almost all the surrounding localities, including several blocks of Federal B Area and North Nazimabad, were inundated with sewage and rainwater as the drain overflowed.
We sent several complaints to the authorities before the rain as we were aware that it was filled with solid waste and could not drain the rainwater properly, said Umar Irshad, a resident of Federal B Area Block 5. Irshad added that after the rain, his area, which is considered a posh locality in District Central, looked as if a severe flood had hit it. Stench-emanating water entered ground floor of our house and we had no solution for that, he lamented.
A similar situation was observed in Federal B Area‘s blocks 12 and 18, North Nazimabad‘s blocks L and N, parts of Buffer Zone and localities near Shafiq Morr.
Irshad also pointed out that the rainwater drains in between main roads in District Central also overflowed either because the overflowing Gujjar Nullah could not take their water or they were also filled with garbage.
A resident of North Nazimabad Block N, Yousuf Jamal, said he has been witnessing such a situation for the past 15 years in the area. ―I have been living here for the last 30 years and have been hearing about revamping of Gujjar Nullah since childhood.
However, no such thing has ever happened here nor it is expected to happen in future,‖ he said. Karachi receives scattered rainfall
Authorities’ versions Talking to the Express Tribune, District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Central Chairperson Rehan Hashmi maintained that there are encroachments over the nullah that need to be demolished. He added that the local bodies‘ minister announced last year that the nullah would be widened and roads would be constructed on its either side. However, no action has been taken so far.
Commenting on the havoc caused by the overflow of Gujjar Nullah after the recent rain, Hashmi said the DMC had limited machinery but despite such constraints, they managed to control the situation. He stressed the need for urgent action in order to avoid any emergency situation in future.
Senior municipal services director at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Masood Alam, said cleaning of all major drains is in process. He added that despite a limited budget, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar has given directions to take all necessary actions to deal with rains.
Swimming banned at Karachi’s beaches for 6 months Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro and District Central deputy commissioner were not available for comments.
Met Office forecast The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast rains in the city next week.
According to the Met office spokesperson, Abdul Rashid, a system of moderate to heavy rainfall will hit the city after a week. He added that the intensity of the rainfall will be similar to that of the recent rainfall.
Rashid added that lower Sindh, including Tharparkar, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad and Dadu, and eastern part of Balochistan will also receive rainfall by the same system which is approaching after a week. (By SHEHARYAR ALI The Express Tribune 15, 11/07/2017)
Poor sanitation facilities
MANY people would say there is little need for something as ‗mundane‘ as menstruation to be acknowledged at an international level. In fact, they are comfortable with the culture of silence that surrounds the issue. However, if they were present, or read an account of what was discussed on Wednesday at an event in Islamabad to celebrate World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2017, they may have emerged with a better understanding of how it can impact the public sphere in far-reaching ways. Speakers on the occasion highlighted the link between the menstrual cycle and girls‘ education in Pakistan. When schools have inadequate facilities to support girls who have menstrual hygiene needs, it affects their school enrolment and dropout rate, besides contributing to absenteeism.
Studies conducted by organisations involved in advocating for menstrual hygiene show that 11pc more girls in this country would attend school if this problem was addressed.
Menstruation is thus not just a normal bodily function; it has very real and practical consequences. If these are not factored in, it will be difficult to increase girls‘ enrolment, a goal that all provinces have committed to. Also, girls‘ often have to travel long distances to reach secondary schools because the catchment area for them is much bigger than it is for primary schools; this is where there is a confluence of the two main reasons for girls‘ high dropout rate — lack of sanitation facilities and access. If the school does not have toilets or if they are not functional, a crucial concern particularly when they have their monthly cycle, then the only option for girls is to make their way home again, an impractical and ultimately discouraging exercise. When girls are experiencing menstrual discomfort, they are even less likely to attend their classes if sanitation facilities are missing. In a society like Pakistan, where many families already have misgivings about older girls going to school, the lack of infrastructure to meet menstrual hygiene needs should not add to their reservations. (Dawn 08, 21/07/2017) SEPA warns of action if industries do not install treatment plants
Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned all the industrial associations of Karachi that it will penalise the industries if they do not install combined effluent treatment plants (CETPs).
A meeting between senior officials of Sepa and representatives of different industrial associations was held on Thursday at the Sepa head office in Korangi. Sepa Director-General (DG) and Climate Change and Coastal Development Secretary Baqaullah Unar, who presided over the meeting, gave a one-week deadline to the industrialists to respond whether or not the industries are installing CETPs according to the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014.
―Inform Sepa whether the industries are going to install CETPs or not,‖ Unar demanded of the industrialists. He warned that Sepa will once again start action against the industries involved in spreading pollution according to Section 21 of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, which allows the agency to impose various penalties on the industries that do not follow the law.
Advertisement Ad Sindh budget neglects the environment, even on World Environment Day Unar told the industrialists that they should not offer any excuses as they have been doing in the past, and install the CETPs according to the law. He also proposed that the industrialists form an investment pool in case they face financial duress in installing the CETPs.
Mentioning the hazardous effects of the effluent released by industries, Unar said the dearth of marine life within a 20-nautical-mile radius of the beach is an alarming situation, adding that the industrial waste is affecting the seafood business and more importantly the ecosystem. It could reach a 50-nautical-mile radius if we continue to ignore it like this, he warned.
A few months ago, at the start of 2017, Sepa had shut down 30 industries and issued notices to more than 300 others, which prompted the industries to protest and go on a strike.
PM approves civil award for environment Jawed Balwani, spokesperson of the industries associations of Karachi, told The Express Tribune that the industries are reluctant to install CETPs because the government has already announced the establishment of at least four CETPs in North Karachi, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE), Korangi and Super Highway Industrial Area with their PC-1 already prepared. If the industries install their own CETPs, their huge investment will go to waste after the installation of government CETPs, said Balwani.
Those who attended the meeting included environmental expert Shahid Lutfi, Saleemuz Zaman representing Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Dr Bilal Ahmed representing the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Suleman Chowla representing SITE Association of Industry, Faraz Hussain and Imran Khan representing North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry and Tariq Mehmood representing the Export Processing Zone Authority. (The Express Tribune 14, 21/07/2017)
CM plans to restructure KWSB by introducing reforms
Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah is planning on introducing institutional reforms in the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, for which he is looking for international support.
He said this during a meeting with German Ambassador Tilo Klinner and consul-general Rainer Schmiedchen. Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput also attended the meeting.
Speaking about the development of city‘s infrastructure, the CM said that the time has come to resolve water shortage issue in the city. The CM added that he has a plan to restructure the water board by introducing institutional reforms.
Karachi residents to face water shortage for two days The water board has a limited capacity to supply water to the megalopolis efficiently, distribute and collect water bills. ―I want to make this organisation efficient and the work on reforms would start once the K-IV project is commissioned,‖ he said, adding that he would appreciate German experts extending their support and cooperation.
Speaking about development work in Thar, the CM said that road infrastructure from Karachi to Thar on both routes via Hyderabad and Thatta, has been initiated. The work on coal mining and installation of power plant is also going on with full speed, the CM said.
‗Sindh is suffering from more than 50% water shortage‘ According to him, they had the maiden landing of a Learjet on the airstrip of the Thar airport. ―This means the airport has become functional [to some extent]. However, work on other necessary facilities at the airport is ongoing,‖ he added. The CM said there were many investment opportunities in energy sector of Thar and now with the construction of the airport, travelli ng has become easy.
―We also have vast investment opportunities in renewable energy, for which German investors have shown interest,‖ the CM claimed. ―If you [German ambassador] take it up with your investor on your level, it might mature early,‖ Shah added. The visiting envoy said he is interested to invite German investors and the government to support Sindh in different sectors, particularly in water and sanitation projects in the city.
The CM presented Sindhi cap, ajrak and Thari shawl to the visiting guest and invited him to visit Thar to explore the investment opportunities. (By Correspondent, Tribune, 15, 23/07/2017)
Civil society assails govt for snatching powers from IG
Civil society and rights activists have demanded the Sindh government withdraw all its notifications regarding postings and transfers of police officers and initiate consultations with all the stakeholders before making a new law for the police.
This demand was presented during a joint press conference on Monday, which was addressed by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) Executive Director Karamat Ali, Citizens Trust Against Crimes member Nazim F Haji and Aurat Foundation Regional Director Mahnaz Rahman. The activists told the media that they have issued a legal notice to the Sindh government on the issuance of various notifications undermining the role of the inspector-general of police in key decisions in the police department as the Sindh High Court (SHC) has already issued a stay order in favour of the top cop.
The speakers were of the view that when the SHC had restored the IG Allah Dino Khawaja, it was obvious that he was restored with all his powers. However, the government recently issued notifications of transfers and postings of senior police officers, which was against the spirit of the SHC order.
Adhere to the Police Rules, IG tells Sindh govt Ali pointed out that in the constitutional petition filed by him, Haji, Shahzad Roy and others in December last year, the SHC had issued stay orders against the transfer of IG Khawaja. Our main contention in the petition was to provide autonomy to the police officers, Ali said, adding that the Sindh government is planning to repeal the Police Order, 2001 and replace it with the Police Act, 1861. ―We contend that the Police Act, 1861 is an inappropriate law in the current circumstances,‖ he said.
Haji informed the media that the civil society would formally file an application in the SHC after August 1 when the court‘s vacations will have expired. ―We demand the provincial government not to table the draft [of the new] police act without getting the IG‘s input,‖ he added.
The police should be autonomous as far as its statutory functions are concerned and that is not possible without entrusting t he powers to hire, transfer and fire to the head of the provincial police, said Haji. (Tribune, 15, 25/07/2017) Inquiry ordered into laying of sewerage pipelines in Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim
The Sindh High Court (SHC) appointed on Wednesday an official to inquire into the laying of sewerage pipelines in the city‘s iconic Bagh Ibne Qasim.
A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, directed the official to submit an inquiry report within a month and adjourned the hearing till October 3.
Bagh Ibne Qasim controversy dominates assembly session The bench was hearing identical petitions challenging the handing over of Karachi‘s iconic public park to the private real estate firm for 10 years. It directed the petitioner, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar‘s lawyer, to file a reply to the comments filed by the Bahria Town management, which said it was no more interested in taking over the park in question.
On April 4, the court had suspended the notification of handing over the public park to Bahria Town on a petition filed by the mayor, which got the Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial government‘s move temporarily blocked.
SHC seeks details of Bagh Ibne Qasimagreement In his plea, Akhtar had argued that it is the responsibility of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to transfer the functions of controlling the land owned by it, according to part-I of schedule-II of the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013.
Referring to part-II in schedule-II of the Act (Item No 52), he contended that as far as parks and gardens were concerned, such powers are exclusively vested in the metropolitan corporation to maintain and create any recreation for the convenience of the general public.
Malik Riaz clarifies Bahria Town stake in Karachi’s Bagh Ibne Qasim According to the mayor, the agreement was a ‗commercial‘ arrangement, whereby they had settled certain terms and conditions.
Though the management of the park is being handed over to the private builder, the government would still be allocating budgets while paying the salaries of staff.
He had also referred to a judgment passed by the Supreme Court in a case relating to a portion of Bagh Ibne Qasim, wherein commercial activity was initiated and the apex court had concluded that ‗no commercial activity could be carried [out] on an amenity plot‘. (The Express Tribune 15, 24/08/2017) Water, sanitation conditions: SC seeks Sindh government's reply to contempt of court plea
The Supreme Court (SC) issued on Monday a notice to the provincial advocate-general (AG) to file replies on behalf of the relevant provincial authorities on an application seeking contempt of the court‘s order against them for failing to implement its orders to improve water and sanitation conditions in the province.
A larger bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam, directed the Sindh AG to file comments on behalf of the provincial chief secretary and other authorities. Also comprising Justices Maqbool Baqar and Faisal Arab, the bench was hearing a petition seeking the provision of potable drinking water and improved sanitation conditions in Sindh.
Complying with SC orders, Sindh doubles water, sanitation budget The petitioner, Shahab Usto, informed the bench that the Sindh government had failed to comply with SC‘s directives regarding the rehabilitation of filtration and sewage treatment plants in the city and testing the effluent produced by industries and found at the Karachi harbour.
It was directed that the managing directors of the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) must comply with the directives with regard to the rehabilitation of filtration and treatment plants and discharge of effluents from industries.
The bench was informed that the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and KWSB had failed to take measures to prevent pollution at the harbour in accordance with the SC‘s directives. It was alleged that the government functionaries, including the local government (LG) and KWSB, had failed to comply with the top court‘s orders about the functioning of water filtration plants and sewage treatment plants TP-I and TP-III in the metropolis.
Supreme Court comes down hard on Sindh government In June, a SC-appointed judicial commission constituted to implement the apex court‘s order, had issued show cause notices to the task force chairperson, health secretary, KWSB managing director (MD), SITE MD, LG secretary, public health engineering secretary, Karachi Port Trust chairperson and others who had not complied with the top court‘s March 16 orders.
During Monday‘s proceedings, the Sindh AG Barrister Zamir Ghumro, informed the SC bench that in compliance of the court‘s directives, the government had ordered the audit of the North Sindh Urban Services Corporation (NSUSC) – a private company established by the Sindh government with a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to execute water and sanitation development schemes in different districts.
He further said that the government had also withdrawn the employees given to NSUSC. However, the AG complained that the government was facing difficulties in executing the pending development schemes due to the non-provision of the required funds by the foreign donor.
Judicial commission orders testing of water supplied to citizens in Sindh The Sukkur district municipal corporation authorities informed the apex court that the projects initially launched under the NSUSC had been successfully executed, but the remaining projects launched in the second phase could not be executed as ADB had withheld the remaining amount of the loan.
The judges directed the AG to file a reply to the contempt of court application on behalf of the concerned provincial authorities, explaining as to why the court‘s directives had not been implemented despite the lapse of months.
They also asked him to submit complete details of the ongoing development schemes, which were launched under the NSUSC. He will also mention how much of the funds were spent on these schemes and how much more was required.
Apex court shocked at state of affairs The Supreme Court (SC) asked on Monday the Sindh AG whether a video, prepared by the court-appointed judicial commission regarding the supply of filthy drinking water and poor sanitation conditions, had been shown to the members of the Sindh Assembly.
Commission wants five-year records of water, sanitation schemes The video was prepared by the commission, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro of the Sindh High Court, during its visits to inspect the water resources, water filtration and sewerage treatment plants in Karachi and other districts of the province.
The judges had expressed their shock and concern over the state of affairs in the province, as the video was shown to them in the courtroom.
Therefore, the bench members had directed the Sindh Assembly‘s speaker to show the same video to the lawmakers.
Judicial commission rejects task force’s report on water, sanitation Taking up the matter, the three-member larger bench found that the situation had not changed, as orders passed by the court had not been complied with by the relevant authorities. The bench‘s head, Justice Mushir Alam, inquired from Ghumro on whether the assembly speaker had shown the video to the elected representatives as asked by the court in March.
―The video of the judicial commission shows what kind of water the citizens are consuming,‖ the judge remarked, addressing the top government law officer.
Ghumro expressed his unawareness on the matter, replying that the court had not given any specific direction to him to get the same done.
Justice Alam reminded him that the court had given a specific direction to Sindh Assembly‘s speaker to make arrangements for showing the video to the lawmakers. The judge asked the AG to inquire from the assembly speaker on whether or not the video had been shown to the MPAs in compliance of the court‘s directive.
Form committee to resolve water scarcity, sanitation issues, SC tells Sindh govt The AG was directed to submit a report to the court in this regard. (By Naeem Sahoutara The Express Tribune 15, 29/08/2017)
‘Rain disaster exposes poor roadworks, drain cleaning, waste disposal’
Absence of measures to properly de-silt all drains of the city, ensure proper disposal of waste, flaws in recent roadworks along with the fast decline in city‘s green cover are some major factors which caused urban flooding during the rains, said urban planning experts on Friday.
Speaking about the city‘s vulnerable civic infrastructure that collapsed due to the heavy showers, the experts called for immediate evacuation of those stranded in low-lying areas, especially those along Lyari and Malir rivers, as the situation would worsen in case of more rain.
Regretting lack of government preparations ahead of monsoon, Dr Noman Ahmed, who heads the Department of Architecture and Planning at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, said the city had been a victim of poor governance for a long time.
―Such an exercise [drain cleaning] should have been conducted at least six to seven months prior to the monsoon season. What aggravated the situation, however, is the continued absence of a proper waste disposal system in the city as well as the recently carried out poor road re-carpeting and repairs,‖ he said.
Flaws in roadworks Dr Ahmed, who visited different parts of the city to observe how they were being affected by rain, said the repairs lacked sound technical approach, as the size of the drain inlet along University Road from Nipa to Hasan Square had been made too small.
―There are serious flaws in the recent reconstruction/repairs of roads. For instance, water collected near the Urdu University was not going into the drain.
―Similarly, the drainage on the stretch from Civic Centre up to Jail Chowrangi flyover was being affected by waste dumps and other obstructions,‖ explained Dr Ahmed. He added that the absence of a drainage system near Karachi City Railway Station also led to flooding on I.I. Chundrigar Road.
―Unfortunately, this site has been without a drainage system since 2006 when it was completely redone during the city‘s beautification plan. The then officials concerned were informed about the flaw but they didn‘t do anything to fix it,‖ he said.
The senior architect found the newly re-carpeted roads damaged at many places, exposing the use of low quality material. ―Also, the level of roads is uneven, which affects water flow. A simple principle is to keep neighbouring streets and lanes a little above the main road which should be connected with drain/s. This helps prevent flooding of residential areas,‖ he said.
Blame game Dr Ahmed described the whole situation as unfortunate. ―Nobody is ready to take the responsibility. Some officials blame the Provincial Disaster Management Authority for the mess but when you talk to them, they would say the department is only responsible for relief and rescue and not for development and rehabilitation.
―On the other hand, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation complains of funds‘ shortage. It seems to have no coordination with the local district municipal corporations,‖ he said.
In response to a question about strategy the government should adopt for rain emergency, he said immediate focus should be the areas more vulnerable to flooding such as Malir and Saadi Town which had suffered massive damage. Also the areas along Malir and Lyari rivers required early attention for which the government should mobilise the community and evacuate people from there before the situation turned worse, he added.
―The government should act fast as rain spell is expected to continue. The KMC should work on a maintenance plan, find out missing elements in the city‘s infrastructure and fix them.‖
Trained volunteer force The city, he believed, didn‘t need more development projects. Rather, there should be concerted effort to keep the infrastructure that we already have in good shape. ―The government should also learn from other countries fighting flooding and set up a trained volunteer force to combat such situations. It‘s not the Rangers‘ job to carry out rescue operation in rain emergency.‖
Concrete jungle Farhan Anwar, senior urban planner who heads Sustainable Initiatives, a non-governmental organisation, pointed to the sharp decline in city‘s green cover and said that it acted as a filtration basin. ―Such spaces absorb water and help prevent flooding. Such spaces have been lost at an alarming rate while the city has expanded tremendously over the years,‖ he said, adding that massive encroachment on city‘s major drains also contributed to flooding.
―And, there are many areas which lack proper drainage. For instance, one track of Tariq Road was flooded today while the other was clear, suggesting technical flaw in road designing,‖ he said.
Most of the recently constructed drains in the DHA, he said, carried sewage though they were meant for rainwater. (By Faiza Ilyas Dawn 15, 02/09/2017)
Karachi needs a new storm water drainage system
The mess that befell the city after the heavy downpour on August 31 was manmade, as the streets of many areas were flooded with sewage water due to the unplanned, ill-conceived and haphazard development carried out in Karachi during the last couple of decades.
The absence of a technical mechanism and engineering solutions and ignoring the levels of storm water drains and sewerage infrastructure, besides the ground level of plots and constructed units, resulted in this catastrophe.
During the reconstruction and improvement process the levels of most roads and streets in the city have been raise, resulting in plots and constructions being on a lower level, causing them to be flooded during the rains.
Independent infrastructure for storm water drains and sewerage was laid but unfortunately, with the passage of time the infrastructure for storm water drains were converted into open drains and used as sewerage drains, despite the existenc e of an existing sewerage system. This resulted in the destruction of the storm water drains and a negative impact on the sewerage system.
In addition to separate storm water drains in the localities, around 36 large storm water nullahs are also present but are currently being used as sewerage drains and are full of garbage. Despite spending millions of rupees every year, these nullahs were never cleaned and at some points the width of these nullahs has been narrowed due to encroachments, resulting in the flow of sewerage and rainwater being obstructed.
Heavy Rain: Man killed in roof collapse The embankment of Thaddo Dam, an important water reservoir for the surrounding villages and the adjoining Lath Nullah, was washed away recently, causing inundation of nearby villages and localities, including some colonies on the other side of Supe r Highway such as Saadi Garden.
During the last two decades the functioning of local government institutions and other civic agencies has deteriorated. Competent, experienced and dedicated functionaries were ignored when it came time for postings and promotions. Most of the existing functionaries, especially those with experience in the fields of finance, administration management and engineering, retired. The result of this is evident in the form of the aftermath of the downpour.
Now the time has come for a separate feasibility study to undertake three projects for the city with the assistance of foreign aid.
These projects are the construction of a new, comprehensive and integrated storm water drainage system for the city, a specia l one-time project to conduct a complete cleaning of the 36 large nullahs of the city, including removal of encroachments and garbage and strengthening of the nullahs, and the expansion or laying of new infrastructure for an internal sewerage system and a proper disposal system, either through a new system or via the existing bulk sewerage disposal system.
Centre will help Sindh compensate Karachi rain victims: PM Abbasi To avoid the occurrence of a catastrophe of this scale in the future, it is necessary for the authorities to identify, ascertain and assess, through a detailed study, existing bottlenecks, damages and list all each street and lane that was inundated by rainwater as well as sewage water that needs to be addressed.
Over flowed storm water drains, nullahs and drains should also be identified. The authorities responsible for this study are the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, six district municipal corporations, Karachi district council, 250 union committees and union councils through their secretaries, besides the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Sindh Building Control Authority, Karachi Development Authority, Malir and Lyari development authorities, Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Railways, Defence Housing Authority and seven cantonment boards in the city.
The district administration and subordinate functionaries, including assistant commissioners and mukhtiarkars, should also pl ay their due role in the pre and post rain situation, as the role of the district administration, is defined also in the Disaster Management Contingency Plan.
‘Post-rain situation is not as bad as is being portrayed’ The government of Sindh should immediately issue directives to conduct the required survey and study by each local body within its jurisdiction, besides the district administration of all six districts of Karachi. Each local body, civic agency and the district administration will submit the report within a fortnight. In this regard guidance shall also be taken from reports in the pri nt and electronic media pertaining to the downpour.
The government of Sindh should also constitute a working group of retired and experienced professionals, engineers, experts, senior faculty members of engineering universities and representatives of different professional bodies, including the business community, to assess the reports (By Syed Mukarram Sultan Bukhari THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 14, 18/09/2017) Sea of sewage
IN recent weeks, the residents of Karachi have been noticing that the waters of the Indian Ocean have been especially filthy. At Seaview, the beach most easily accessible to citizens, the waters have taken on a dark, oily tinge, a viscosity that is not that of normal seawater even by the standards of this metropolis with its glaringly insufficient trash disposal infrastructure. The speculation was that it must be an oil slick. On Thursday, matters were clarified. At a seminar on ‗Awareness on sea pollution and sea litter‘ organised by the National Institute of Oceanography in Karachi, researchers said that what residents were actually seeing was sewage, directly flushed out into the sea from a major drain in the city that had been clogged but was now unblocked because of the recent rains in the city. Scientist Dr Nuzhat Khan told participants that a 3km area of the coastline had been affected. She pointed out that marine pollution was a serious issue and that from Korangi Fish Harbour to Port Qasim, it was possible to even see cow dung from Cattle Colony floating in the waters.
Paint this nauseating picture into the snapshot we already have and the outlook appears grim indeed. Some two years ago, Sindh administration sources concluded that at least 8,000 tonnes of solid waste is either dumped or ends up in just the Karachi harbour every day. This includes waste from chemical, textile, plastics and the thousands of other industrial units in the city that operate pretty much independently of regulation and monitoring. In addition, there is the waste generated by a vast city of over 20m people; given that Karachi‘s infrastructure is tattered to say the very least, by some accounts about 350 gallons of raw sewage and untreated industrial waste flow into the sea each day. Are the relevant government agencies concerned? Perhaps they need to spend a day at the beach. (Dawn 08, 25/09/2017)
‘Sewerage system main problem’
Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Sunday said his municipal leadership wanted to work with the provincial government for uplift of the city‘s landscape and requested the Sindh chief minister to jointly work to solve the longstanding issues inflicting the city.
―At present, the top issue in the city relates to the pathetic sewerage system,‖ said the mayor while visiting Karachi Central district along with his party, MQM-Pakistan, chief Dr Farooq Sattar. They reviewed the progress on road carpeting and other development works extensively in Hussainabad.
MQM-P leaders, DMC Central‘s chairman Rehan Hashmi, and other elected representatives and officials accompanied him.
Mayor Akhtar said officials of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board [KWSB] would be contacted to improve the sewerage system in the city.
Dr Sattar said the Solid Waste Management Board and KWSB were controlled by the Sindh government, yet, ―we will remove the garbage to our maximum capability‖. (Dawn 16, 25/09/2017)
Education in Sindh suffers due to poor sanitation
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation‘s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, released today, highlighted the government‘s apparent failure to provide high-quality education in Pakistan.
Lack of sanitation, level of teachers‘ salaries, low levels of spending on education and lack of regulations of health and safety at schools are being counted among the reasons for this. In Sindh, one of the major issues being faced is lack of sanitation and water facilities.
One-third of schools in the country have no water or basic sanitation or toilets. Only half of all government schools have usable toilets.
Judicial commission on water, sanitation Taking notice of this and other issues in the province on December 27, 2016, the Supreme Court constituted a judicial commission to investigate and improve sanitation conditions in Sindh. A lawyer, Shahab Usto, had taken the authorities concerned to the court over non-supply of clean drinking water and sanitation to the masses in the province, where ‗bad‘ governance had taken its worst shape.
Judicial commission rejects task force’s report on water, sanitation Headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, the commission is investigating the failure of the authorities concerned to provide clean drinking water and improve the deteriorating sanitation conditions across the province.
―In Sindh, 100,000 students leave school in the first month every year due to the absence of basic facilities (such as water and sanitation),‖ admitted the provincial education department‘s secretary, Dr Iqbal Hussain Durrani, before the judicial commission on Saturday.
The issue arose during judicial commission‘s proceedings on September 17, on the complaint that most of the government schools lacked basic amenities like clean drinking water and sanitation. At some, the water was undrinkable.
Therefore, the commission had directed the secretary of the provincial education and literacy department to submit a report o n the status of availability of clean potable water and sanitation at the government-run schools and colleges.
Filing a preliminary report on the survey, the secretary showed a break-up of schools based on whether water was available or not. He highlighted the agencies responsible for providing water to the schools.
Problems in education: SHC CJ takes notice of poor condition of schools However, Durrani admitted that no value addition was done to improve either the quality of water or its availability in the schools by the education department. He said that 4,000 schools had been surveyed so far and assured that facilities like electricity, drinking water, classrooms and washrooms will be provided.
He said in the report that it was essentially the job of the public health engineering or the local government department to look into this issue and provide water to the schools and colleges in rural and urban areas. Yet the education department had prepared a comprehensive plan based on two phases to provide all facilities, including drinking water, to the schools, he maintained.
The secretary mentioned that all directors of school education had been directed to carry out laboratory tests of drinking water being supplied to the schools.
According to a survey conducted by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum earlier this year, around 95% of public schools along the Sindh coastline do not have drinking water or washrooms for students.
―We conducted the survey in Kharo Chan and Keti Bunder tehsils of Thatta district, where 95% schools lack drinking water facilities,‖ the forum‘s field coordinator Gulab Shah had said.
Underprivileged children to gain access to art education On October 18, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that 4,000 schools would be selected and provided all necessary facilities within the next six months. He had approved Rs6 billion for the project during a meeting with education department officials.
In a presentation to the CM, the education secretary had said there were around 4,000 schools in the province that did not ha ve washrooms upon which Shah had commented that he had been listening to reports of missing facilities in schools for years. He directed the school education department to select at least 4,000 schools and provide them all the facilities, including boun dary walls, libraries, teachers‘ rooms, laboratories, washrooms, drinking water and electricity. Shah directed the provision of solar energy to schools where power connections via electrical poles were not possible. (By Naeem Sahoutara THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 14, 24/10/2017) KWSB land recovered
Staffers of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) carried out a demolition action and recovered the board‘s land in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Tuesday.
A KWSB statement says that staffers demolished constructions carried out on the water board‘s land from where a subsoil water pipeline was passing near Baitul Mukkaram Mosque in Block 17, Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
The land mafia made several phone calls to the KWSB staffers during the demolition action threatening them of dire consequences.
The report of the threats has been filed at the relevant police station, adds the statement. (Dawn 17, 25/10/2017)
Centre’s nod needed for effluent treatment plants in Karachi, judicial commission told
A Supreme Court-appointed water commission on Saturday directed a federal law officer to ensure liaison between the Centre and the Sindh government with regard to the approval of the combined effluent treatment plants (CETPs) for Karachi.
The one-man judicial commission headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro observed that the additional attorney general should sensitise the federal government to the urgent nature of the matter so that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) could meet as early as possible.
The commission, which held its proceedings in the Sindh High Court, was informed by Industries Secretary Abdul Raheem Soomro that approval of Ecnec was required for five CETPs for Karachi and this information had also been shared with the Sindh chief minister, who promised to approach the prime minister to resolve this matter.
Mohammad Shakeel and Asadullah Khan, the focal person and deputy managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, respectively, informed the commission that the price of a water tanker had been notified and it would be publicised on Nov 12 for information of the people in order to curb overcharging.
Draft rules to regulate hydrants have been sent to the provincial cabinet
They said that the maximum price would be displayed clearly so that every resident knew the exact price for a water tanker. However, they said that this exercise would be completed within a month.
Local Government Secretary Mohammad Ramzan Awan informed the commission that the draft rules of regulation of hydrants in Karachi had been submitted to the provincial cabinet for final approval.
The commission adjourned the hearing till Dec 2. Lab needed to test water quality Tamizuddin Khero, the secretary of the public health engineering department (PHED), submitted a report that a PC-1 for the implementation of the master plan was under preparation in the light of a feasibility report.
Jamal Mustafa Syed, the head of a taskforce, also submitted a report in compliance with the directives of the commission stating that he found the Umerkot ultra-filtration plant functional and people were getting benefit of it during a visit to the site.
He said that the laboratory test could not be reliably done and suggested that the PHED should establish a fully functional laboratory to maintain basic parameters of clean drinking water.
His report was shared with the PHED secretary who undertook that he would take steps to set up a laboratory.
The LG secretary informed the commission that a filter plant in Golarchi would be made functional by Nov 15.
He also sought time to convert a reverse-osmosis plant in Badin into an ultra-filtration plant.
The secretaries of the PHED and LG departments jointly submitted before the commission that an urban water supply scheme in Jati became functional on July 30, but the report regarding quality of water would be submitted on the next date of hearing.
They said that no laboratory was functioning there but efforts were on to set up a lab to analyse water as per the WHO standards.
Jalaluddin Jalalani, the additional health secretary, stated that his department was providing health sterilisation equipment to the Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College Hospital, Sukkur, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi, Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Karachi. The equipment would be installed within 12 weeks, he added.
He said that three incinerators, out of 17, had been provided to Shikarpur, Naushahro Feroze and Badin district hospitals. He sought time to submit a report about remaining 14 incinerators on the next date of hearing.
Three Hyderabad filtration plants to be rehabilitated Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) chief Masood Ahmed Jumani submitted that the Sindh government had approved the schemes of rehabilitation of old water filtration plants — Jamshoro Road, Hala Naka and Paretabad.
He said that a modern treatment plant had been shifted to the Darya Khan pumping station and would be installed shortly.
Education Secretary Dr Iqbal Hussain Durrani stated that he had prepared a plan focusing on issues confronting the education department, which include but are not restricted to providing clean drinking water and sanitation in schools. He said that he would discuss this plan with the chief minister and share it with the commission after modalities had been worked out and agreed upon. (By Mohammad Hussain Khan Dawn 17, 12/11/2017)
Better sanitation systems
Pakistan seems to find itself nearly at the bottom of the pile when it comes to a whole gamut of community health issues. If anything, our record in terms of access to basic sanitation seems to be slipping further. Pakistan is currently ranked the seventh- worst country, sinking down three places from last year. Despite our discomfiture, the authorities concerned at the federal a nd provincial levels have done nothing to stop this slide. The figures say it all. Up to 42 per cent of the country‘s population remains without access to basic sanitation. Sanitation charity WaterAid estimates that 79 million people lack access to a decent toil et, while 37pc have no system for wastewater disposal at all. On a global scale, hundreds of millions of people around the world are affected by public sanitation.
Lack of proper sanitation exposes large segments of the population to highly contagious diseases and undermines public health in unimaginable ways. It is time that the authorities in all four provinces and other regions woke up from their slumber and diverted a whole lot more attention to the issue. The severity of the crisis demands an immediate shift of focus.
Experts don‘t expect any improvement in the situation until the government takes ownership of the sanitation problems and maximises its efforts to address these as a priority. The key, at this point, is to improve funding and allocate additional resources to tackle sanitation and wastewater problems. Such an effort is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for sanitation and wastewater management. The objective of these goals is to ensure that most individuals and households have access to a safely-managed, household toilet by the year 2030. Most of all Pakistan needs to devise systems to ensure that human waste is contained, transported, treated and disposed of in a safe and sustainable way. It‘s not impossible. (THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 06, 24/11/2017)
Pakistan 7th worst country in access to sanitation
Pakistan is the seventh worst country in terms of access to basic sanitation, as its 42 per cent of the population remains without access to basic sanitation.
A report by WaterAid says 79 million people lack a decent toilet, while 37pc have no system for wastewater disposal, which leads to spread of diseases due to contamination of water and contact with human waste.
The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), supported by Saaf Sehatmand Pakistan Campaign marked the World Toilet Day in Lahore, where they called attention to these issues.
―Despite the severity of the issue, sanitation remains a low priority area in the country. There is an immediate need to shift focus,‖ said PHED Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agah.
―One of the SDG targets is to ensure that everyone has access to a safely-managed household toilet by 2030. This makes sanitation central to eradicating extreme poverty,‖ he said.
The World Toilet Day is about an inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. In 2013, the UN General Assembly designated Nov 19 as the World Toilet Day. The day is coordinated by the UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners.
Saaf Sehatmand Pakistan (Clean and Healthy Pakistan), is a five-year large-scale multi-layered national behaviour change campaign on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) that seeks to promote healthy living among the people by improving knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to safe drinking water, better sanitation and improved hygiene.
―Diseases spread by waste water and lack of sanitation increase the financial burden on families. This disadvantages the poorest. There is already a vast disparity in the country in terms of rural-urban access to basic sanitation facilities. If not addressed urgently, this will continue to keep many below the poverty line.
―The government takes ownership of the issue and will continue to work towards addressing this,‖ said Health P&D member Dr Shabana Haider.
―Improving funding and allocation of resources is at the heart of solving the sanitation and waste water problems in Pakistan. It is encouraging to see the government‘s willingness and promise in this regard but more needs to be done to ensure we are able to achieve the SDG for sanitation and waste water management. Unless appropriate funding is diverted to these areas, long term, sustainable gains cannot be made,‖said Siddiq Khan, country director of the WaterAid Pakistan.
―Pakistan‘s efforts and commitment to improve sanitation need to be lauded. However, apart from sanitation, waste water disposal and treatment are also key in making progress towards the SDGs. For that to be achieved, we need systems that ensure that human waste is contained, transported, treated and disposed of in a safe and sustainable way, said Dr Haider. (By Xari Jalil Dawn 02, 23/11/2017)
Protective walls needed around nullahs in Karachi
With no protective walls present around the big nullahs of the city, there is an ever-present threat of children falling and drowning in them. The body of three-year-old Seema, who fell into the nullah in Site area on Thursday, has not been retrieved as yet. The body of 13-year-old Rehan, who drowned in KBR Society of Buffer Zone, was retrieved by Navy personnel after 24 hours.
A three-year-old child fell into the nullah in Haroonabad area of Ghani Chowrangi located in Site. The relatives of the girl were nearby but when they tried to save her from drowning, they too sustained injuries. ―The flow of water in the nullah was too strong,‖ they said. ―Seema‘s house was located near the nullah. She left her house to play and fell into it,‖ the locals said, adding that there is a huge population living around the nullah but there are no security measures present.
The West District Municipal Corporation was informed of the situation immediately but no government officer or machinery reached on time. Officials of the Pak Colony police station and Rangers reached the location while Edhi workers carried out the rescue operation. However, the body was not found.
Two minor brothers drown in uncovered nullah On the other hand, Navy divers managed to find the body of 13-year-old Rehan who fell into a nullah in KBR Society of Buffer Zone. The deceased lived in a house situated near the nullah. ―Rehan‘s leg hit a stone due to which he was unable to maintain his balance and fell in,‖ said the locals. Rehan‘s father said the rescue teams came very late. ―Until then, the people from the neighbourhood tried to find the body on their own,‖ he said. The Navy personnel had been conducting a searc h since early morning. Rehan‘s body was recovered after removing the garbage in the nullah. (THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 15, 25/11/2017)
KWSB fails to collect over Rs36bn arrears from defaulters
The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board has been unable to recover its arrears of over Rs36 billion outstanding against various consumers owing to lethargic attitude of its staffers, who have miserably failed to recover the funds from defaulters, Dawn has learnt.
A document of the KWSB, available with Dawn, says that over Rs18.5bn was outstanding against the federal government organisations while over Rs5bn against the provincial organisations. The rest was outstanding against different organisations. The document says that the biggest defaulter was Pakistan Steel which had to pay Rs8bn.
Other big defaulters, according to the document, include Clifton Cantonment Board (arrears of Rs1.5bn); Malir Cantonment Board (Rs1bn); city government/Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (Rs1bn); Cattle Colony (Rs1.5bn); poultry farms and farm houses (Rs1.5bn); private societies (Rs1bn); Korangi Industrial Area (Rs550 million); Landhi Industrial Area (Rs440m); North Karachi Industrial Area (Rs350m); Federal B Industrial Area (Rs260m); Bin Qasim Industrial Area (Rs210m); Small Industries (Rs250m); Gharo Village Committee (Rs810m), etc.
The document says that KWSB chief Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi had directed its officials concerned to seek help from the Sindh government to recover the arrears from the defaulters.
Sources, however, said that the directive was just a formal one and had been issued as the Supreme Court had taken up the matter otherwise senior KWSB officials were very ―helpful‖ and ―accommodating‖.
The sources said some officers in the department were demanding that an inquiry be instituted to find out how and why the KWSB had allowed its arrears to exceed the amount of over Rs36bn and what action, if any, had been taken against the staffers who had miserably failed to recover the arrears. (By Bhagwandas Dawn 18, 29/11/2017)
Government fails to satisfy Supreme Court on treatment plants issue
The Supreme Court (SC) declared on Tuesday that the rights to person and property were the prime fundamental rights and the state was duty bound under the constitution to enforce them.
At a hearing of multiple cases at the Karachi Registry of the SC on Tuesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqi b Nisar, who was heading a bench comprising him, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, inquired from the Sindh Advocate- General (AG) Barrister Zamir Ghumro and Chief Secretary Muhammad Rizwan Memon about steps taken by the provincial government for the treatment of domestic and industrial waste before safe disposal.
The top judge told the chief secretary that he or any other responsible officer must give a written undertaking, supported by a personal affidavit, that clearly gave a timeline for the completion of the relevant projects.
He cautioned that in case such a timeline was not met, the court would initiate contempt of court proceedings against the respective officer for ‗breaching of the undertaking‘.
Govt has two months to act against ‘patchy’ cops ―This is a question of the health of my nation,‖ CJP remarked, adding that the court proceedings were not meant for the purpose of any publicity.
―In the future, the Supreme Court will strive for two basic fundamental rights; the right to person and the right to property,‖ Justice Nisar announced. He observed that it was the duty of the state to provide the facilities of health under the right to person. ―Right to health is inseparable to the right to person,‖ the CJP declared.
The CJ expressed dissatisfaction over the replies of AG Ghumro about steps taken by the government to stop disposal of untreated domestic and industrial waste into the water sources.
Responding to a query, the chief secretary informed the court that there were five industrial zones in the city -SITE, North Karachi, Landhi, Korangi and Federal B Area – but none had an effluent treatment plant until the Supreme Court highlighted the issue in its March 2017 order.
SC seeks master plan of Karachi CJP reminded the law officer that 450 million gallons of untreated industrial waste was generated in Karachi every day, but the five combined effluent plants that should have been built much earlier in the five industrial areas of the city to treat the waste before disposing off in the sea were still not completed.
―So, did this issue not exist before March 2017 or was it not considered as serious by the provincial governments or was never attended to?‖ the CJP inquired from the chief secretary who remained silent.
The top judge remarked the court was not an adversary to the government but the issue of untreated waste concerned public health at large and so the court could not ignore it. He said the court, if needed by the provincial government, will provide a shoulder to get the issues related to provision of finance and coordination resolved with the federal government which was also involved in the installation of combined effluent treatment plants.
An official informed the apex court that in 2005, the federal and the provincial governments had agreed to set up five CETPs by agreeing to contribute 50% of the funds each.
Top court irked by DHA’s failure to comply with 5-year-old orders to demolish illegal shops The Sindh government was ready to pay its share, but a PC-I of the project was sent to the federal government, which directed to approach the climate change department, but the latter rejected the same, the officer informed the bench, adding that when the provincial government approached the Centre again, it was told the approach the planning commission.
The bench was also informed that in the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) held last month, it had been agreed that the federal government would contribute 33% of the funds, while the Sindh government would provide rest of the funds required for the project. The bench was informed that in the upcoming meeting of the Ecnec, whic h is held once in a month, a summary would be hopefully approved.
Solid waste The bench also took up the matter relating to disposal of the solid waste.
The chief secretary informed the SC that under the Sewerage-III project, setting up of three treatment plants – TP-I, II and III – was in the process while the work on the fourth plant would start soon.
SC gives two days to clear amenity plots in Karachi To the court‘s query, Memon informed that TP-I and TP-III, which have the capacity to treat 100 and 180 million of gallons per day (MGD) of effluent respectively, were being rehabilitated on the orders of the judicial commission and would start functioning by June 2018. He said the land of TP-II was, however, encroached upon.
Addressing Memon, the CJP remarked that the work on only two plants had started as the officer admitted that a housing scheme had been launched on the location of TP-II.
Memon informed the court that according to the experts, the fourth plant would have a capacity to treat 180 MGD effluent. The matter was adjourned till December 23. (THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 15, 06/12/2017)
SC seeks time frame for completion of effluent treatment plants in Karachi
Berating the provincial authorities over their lethargic attitude in making the municipal and industrial waste treatment plants operational, the Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that it would not compromise on the issue of lives of people and no one responsible, either from political or administrative side, would be spared.
Headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, a three-judge bench was hearing a 24-year-old case pertaining to environmental pollution at the city harbour and coastal areas and their poisoning due to unmitigated release of industrial waste into the sea. The bench also comprised Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah.
The CJP became visibly irked when Sindh Advocate General Zamir Ghumro informed the judges that the provincial government was taking all effective measures to resolve the environmental pollution issue.
The CJP warns authorities of contempt proceedings in case of delay ―It seems from your comment that the problem has already been resolved. It is such a big issue and the provincial authority is pretending that there is nothing,‖ he said.
He asked the provincial law officer if he could give an undertaking that the matter stood resolved. ―Don‘t force us to pass strict orders,‖ the CJP warned and wondered how the citizens could be proud of the state which failed to provide even safe drinking water to them.
The CJP observed that 450 million gallons of untreated water was being discharged into the sea daily since no sewage treatment plant was operational in the city.
He remarked that ―right to person‖ and ―right to property‖ were the fundamental rights of the people and the state was constitutionally bound to ensure provision of healthy and safe environment to them. ―We want solution to the problem and [are] ready to provide all sort of help to the government,‖ he added.
The chief justice made it clear that the court would not compromise on the issues of lives of people and remarked that sea pollution due to untreated flow of sewage and industrial waste would not be overlooked.
Sindh Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon told the judges that sewerage treatment plants TP-I and TP-III would be made functional by June 2018, on which the CJP said that only statements could not change the situation, asking him to file an affidavit that the issues would be resolved.
The CS conceded inefficiency on part of the provincial authorities and said they were ashamed of the delay. ―We are thankful to you for taking up the proceedings,‖ he said.
He informed the judges that there were five industrial zones in the city where industrial waste treatment plants would be set up. He said that the prime minister had approved the setting up of the treatment plants in the meeting of Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) 10 days ago.
The bench asked the chief secretary to submit the summary of the approved treatment plants to the Ecnec. It also directed the provincial authorities to come up with a report, outlining a time frame for completion of these plants.
The CJP said the provincial authorities would have to sign affidavit vis-à-vis time frame for making the plants functional and warned if these plants were not made functional within the time frame, contempt of court proceedings will be initiated against them.
He said the court would cooperate with the provincial government for resolution of problems and it would continue to discharge its duties in line with the country‘s Constitution.
The hearing of the case was adjourned till Dec 23. (By Tahir Siddiqui Dawn 17, 06/12/2017)
SC orders inquiry into Mehmoodabad treatment plant's land allotment
The Supreme Court (SC) sought on Wednesday a comprehensive report from the provincial local government department‘s secretary regarding the ownership of 50 acres for a treatment plant in Mehmoodabad.
The apex court also directed Syed Mustafa Kamal, now the chief of Pak Sarzameen Party, to submit his written statement on under what authority he had allotted such land to private persons being the then Karachi mayor.
Earlier, Kamal appeared at the SC‘s Karachi Registry during the hearing of the matter relating to non- functioning of treatment plants in the city.
Kamal said that being the city‘s mayor, he had no authority to allot the land in question. He said that since 1,218 people we re displaced by the Preedy Street road project, they had to be resettled.
He maintained that the Mehmoodabad treatment plant (TP-II) had excessive land, so the affected families were re-settled on a portion of it.
He argued that the City Council had given approval for the allotment of the land to the affected families.
Sindh’s water, sanitation issue: Judicial commission seeks timeline to commence work on master plan Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar asked Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to get the matter of the land allotment investigated.
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah observed that the City Council had no authority to allow the allotment of any land, as only change of the status of the land fell within its domain.
Justice Nisar observed that it was important to see how it had committed this illegality. He directed the LG secretary to submit a comprehensive report regarding the legal ownership of the land in question.
He warned that the court will see which law was violated in the allotment procedures and an appropriate order will be passed.
Unchecked business of filtered water It observed that the growing business of selling so-called filtered water without any certification by the authorities concerned will also be looked into and an inquiry may be ordered to determine whether or not the business was being carried out under any law.
Education in Sindh suffers due to poor sanitation Justice Nisar observed that it was the duty of the government to monitor such activities and initiate legal act ion to curb it. ―We will not let anyone befool anyone,‖ he said and made it clear that the matter will be taken to its logical conclusion.
Earlier, Kamal had highlighted the issue of the growing business of providing ‗filtered‘ water in the city, saying t hose involved in the business did not want the citizens to receive potable water from taps.
He alleged that after the tankers‘ mafia, the new mafia was those involved in unchecked business of filtered water.
The former mayor said the city currently needed 1,240 million gallons per day (MGD) of water, but it was only receiving water from the Hub Dam. He maintained that he had thought of the K-IV project, however, even 20% work wasn‘t completed.
The big problem with water He said there is a need of laying trunk water pipelines to bring water to the city through the K-IV project. He said Sindh receives 36,300 MGD, out of which Karachi was getting only 500 MGD – 5.1% – which was an injustice to the city.
He opined that the city‘s population will increase to 30 million by 2020, which means the demand for water will not be met ev en with the completion of the K-IV project.
Justice Nisar asked him to provide this information to the court in writing.
Our water and sanitation deficit Kamal said the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board could provide such details if asked by the apex court, as he was not in the government.
―But, you are trying to get into the government,‖ remarked Justice Nisar, filling the courtroom with laughter. (THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 13, 07/12/2017) SC wants time frame for resolution of potable water, sewerage issues
The Supreme Court has told Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to submit by the first week of January next year his report specifying cut-off dates for ensuring supply of potable water and management of proper sewerage system, it emerged on Saturday when the SC‘s order on the water pollution case was released for publication.
Headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, a three-judge bench had on Dec 6 heard the chief minister at length and asked him to inform the court about the steps his government intended to take to resolve the issues of potable water and management of municipal, industrial and hospital waste in the province.
The bench ordered: ―In the circumstances, we feel that this sensitive issue of supplying potable water and discharge of sewerage throughout the province into a proper developed sewerage system could only be managed once the chief minister of Sindh places on record detailing the targeted dates for addressing the following issues: i) District-wise report specifying a cut-off date on which all points from where municipal, hospital and industrial sewerage is discharged in the ultimate source of clean water, may it be river Indus, its canals or any other source, are plugged; ii) A district-wise report with a cut-off date as to when a proper sewerage system along with treatment plants will be installed/made operational in all the districts of Sindh, including a proper source for discharge of treated sewerage. All projects planned by the government in that pursuit shall be stated district-wise with their cut-off dates for completion; iii) A cut-off date by which all existing treatment plants are made functional to their full capacity to ensure discharge of treated sewerage from the city of Karachi into the sea; iv) A fresh report in respect of K-4, S-III and the extent of work completed so far in percentage and the expected date of completion. v) A district-wise report showing the plans with their cut-off date for ensuring sufficient uncontaminated water for every district according to its population.‖
The bench ordered the CM to submit his report within four weeks and adjourned the matter to a date in the fourth week of January 2018.
During the hearing, the bench told the CM that the present proceedings were undertaken to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the inhabitants of the province and the disposal of municipal, hospital and industrial waste after proper treatment.
The CM was informed that failure to provide safe water and disposal of waste without treatment had polluted subsoil water and led to outbreaks of several waterborne diseases such as hepatitis C, skin diseases and other related ailments.
A documentary prepared by the petitioner regarding a survey showed the discharge of sewage into the Indus contaminating its various canals and tributaries which were the source of clean water.
After seeing the video, the chief minister presented the provincial government‘s version and the efforts made by him to ensure measures to improve the supply of potable water.
The CM said the state of affairs depicted in the video was not a true reflection of the present state of affairs, as a lot of improvements had been made since then. (By Tahir Siddiqui Dawn 17, 10/12/2017)
CM wants master plan for water supply, sewerage prepared within 21 days
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday directed the local government and other departments concerned to work out a master plan for water supply and sewerage with treatment facilities and submit it to his secretariat within the next 21 days.
He also directed them to prepare a detailed plan with a deadline and estimated cost for the provision of safe drinking water and treatment of drinking and waste water all over Sindh.
Also read: SC wants time frame for resolution of potable water, sewerage issues ―I want people to open their tap at home, take water, boil and drink it — this must be so safe,‖ he said and warned that inefficiency would not be tolerated.
The CM issued this directive while presiding over a meeting held at the Chief Minister House to carry out directives of the Supreme Court to provide safe drinking water to everyone in the province and to stop releasing untreated effluent into water bodies.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Manzoor Wassan, Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Jam Khan Shoro, Mohammad Ali Malkani, Fayaz Butt, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Advocate General Zamir Ghumro, P&D chairman Mohammad Waseem and health secretary Fazal Pechuho.
Filter plants to be built at Gharo, Pipri, Dumlotee, NEK, COD and Hub Recalling that the apex court was helping the provincial government in the provision of safe drinking water and disposal of treated waste water, the CM said: ―It is our prime duty to take necessary measures so that people right from Kashmore to Karachi drink safe water‖.
He added: ―There are two different targets for each and every city. The first one is to work out a detailed plan to rehabilitate the existing water supply and drainage system with the installation of treatment plants with deadlines for the implementation and an estimated cost so that funds could be made available. This working must be completed within a week and next week I‘ll hold another meeting in which district-wise plans would be discussed and timeline would be set to start and complete the work,‖ he said.
―The other assignment is the preparation of water supply and drainage master plan for each and every district. This must be completed within next 15 days.‖
K-IV project Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro said there were three phases of the K-IV water supply project. The first phase is of 260mgd of water, which would be completed by 2018, while the second and third phases of 260mgd and 130mgd were scheduled to be completed by 2020 and 2022, respectively.
He said the existing water distribution system was poor, and directed the water board to pursue the World Bank to study the feasibility. ―This can be done by replacing the old distribution system with a new one by selecting areas such as Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Water Pump, Malir, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad and then the areas which are not in the net of the water board and start installing a distribution system there.‖
He told KWSB managing director Hashim Raza Zaidi to prepare a proper work plan and improve the defective billing system of the water board for bulk purchasers.
The CM said the Sindh government had provided Rs446 million for chlorination and lab equipment, Rs58m for the rehabilitation of existing filter plants and Rs3,500m for the construction of new filter plants at Gharo, Pipri, Dumlotee, NEK, COD and Hub.
Wasa efforts The chief minister was told that the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) had made efforts to establish a new filter plant of 30mgd on Jamshoro Road. Three of the five clarifiers had been made functional, and a new lab established. The quality of water had improved at the source.
The meeting was told that a combined effluent treatment plant at Kotri had been made functional for Rs63.79m the chief minister had provided outside the budget.
The chief minister also directed the commissioners and the health secretary to make necessary arrangements in their respective districts, including Karachi, for the disposal of hospital waste and liquid properly. ―There must be a separate filtration system in the hospitals,‖ he said and directed the water board MD to identify the areas where water supply and sewerage lines were close to one another and separate them in an efficient way.
Labour conference Addressing a conference organised by the Sindh labour department, the chief minister said industrial development was linked to the health, financial strength and working atmosphere of workers.
He hoped that this tripartite conference in which workers, their employers (industrialists) and the regulators (government) had been brought together to discuss their issues would help resolve them or give recommendations to the government for their resolution.
Referring to the welfare measures taken for workers, the chief minister said the provincial government, through Sessi, Workers Welfare Board and other such institutions, had built residential units and established schools and hospitals for workers all over Sindh.
―We consider it as our mission to serve the workers because we believe they are the main force behind our industrial growth,‖ he said. (By Habib Khan Ghori Dawn 17, 12/12/2017) New law seeking treatment plant at every industrial unit opposed
The SITE Association of Industry on Saturday claimed that industrialists had never agreed to the Sindh government‘s new law making it mandatory upon them to ensure installation of treatment plants at their respective units.
The draft of the Sindh Industries Registration Act, 2017 had also not been circulated among all stakeholders before its promulgation, chairman of the association Jawed Bilwani said in a statement. The Sindh government is to table the draft law in the provincial cabinet for approval. The proposed law would also make it mandatory upon all industrial units established since 1991 to get themselves registered with the department.
Mr Bilwani argued that the proposed law would be a parallel and overlapping law and it would envisage a separate set of penalties which were already covered through the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency.
A person, under the doctrine of double jeopardy, could not be punished under two laws for the same offence, he further argued, and said this was bound to happen if the proposed law was promulgated. He reiterated the association‘s stance that the proposed combined effluent treatment plant-I should be established in the SITE area by the government. (Dawn 19, 17/12/2017)
Despite SHC order, over 9,000 Christian workers not paid for Christmas
More than 9,500 Christian workers of the civic agencies could not get their salaries before their annual Christmas festival to celebrate it properly with their families.
The workers, as a protest, have announced that they would celebrate Christmas on the road along the Karachi Press Club. These workers are associated with the district municipal corporations (7,000 workers) and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (2,500 workers) and have not been paid owing to the lethargic attitude of the Sindh government bureaucrats, who did not release the funds in time.
This is not the first time that the civic workers have not received the advance salary in time to celebrate their religious festival properly. Earlier, Muslim as well as Hindu workers were also not paid in time and could not celebrate their respective religious festivals — Eidul Azha and Diwali.
The Sindh High Court had ordered on Dec 19 that the Christian workers be paid by Dec 20, 2017 so that they could celebrate Christmas, but the Sindh government bureaucracy did not follow the court order.
Responding to Dawn queries, All Pakistan Local Government Workers Federation leader Zulfiqar Shah said it was a pity that despite the high court order the workers were not paid. He said that the workers in Punjab were always paid before the festivals, but in Sindh the government did not do the same. He said that earlier this year the Muslim and Hindu workers were also not paid before Eidul Azha and Diwali.
KWSB‘s United Workers Union leaders Joseph Sanam, Punhal Magsi, Akram Khan and others, condemning the water board management for nonpayment of salaries to the over 2,500 Christian workers, also announced that the workers, along with their families, would celebrate Christmas and perform their religious rites on the road near the Press Club on Monday.
They also criticised the management for its discriminatory attitude towards minority community workers, overwhelming majority of whom were low-grade employees working as health workers and kundi men.
They also urged the Sindh High Court chief justice to take suo motu notice of this ―criminal act‖ of the KWSB management. (By Bhagwandas Dawn 15, 25/12/2017)
Sewage from damaged pipeline keeps Saddar inundated
Sewage overflowing from the main sewer near Avari Towers kept the downtown Saddar area inundated on Tuesday.
The main developed fault near Sharea Faisal on Saturday night and was not repaired till Tuesday.
A statement issued by the KarachiWater andSewerage Board said work to replace the faulty part of the conduit, which diameter is 54 inches, has been started and it is expected to be completed by Wednesday. It further said its staff was facing difficulty in carrying out the repair work since the damaged pipeline was 25 feet deep.
Some important and busy lanes of Saddar lil(e Zaibunnisa Street and Abdullah Haroon Road were among the worst affected which created hardships for shoppers and residents of the area.
The Christian community which celebrated Christmas on Monday found it difficult to move around as a large number of them reside in the area which also has several churches. (Dawn 18, 27/12/2017) Sunken pipelines inundate Karachi’s streets with sewage water
The city‘s sewerage system has collapsed, as a number of areas are flooded with sewage. Residents have been facing difficulties in commuting and have also had to bear with the stench of the stagnant water.
Gutter water has been overflowing in numerous areas such as Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Nazimabad, Saddar, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Tipu Sultan Road and Sharae Faisal. Worsening the situation is the fact that the contaminated water has entered houses and hospitals in some areas.
The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) claims that the water will be cleaned soon and that work in this regard is currently under way.
Sewage has overflowed on main thoroughfares such as Sharae Faisal, Sakhi Hassan, Rashid Minhas Road, Orangi Road, KDA Chowrangi and streets in Saddar. Despite its claims, the KWSB has not undertaken any measures to clear the water from the sites of the burst pipelines, which has led to the situation deteriorating. In the heart of the city, Saddar, the sewerage system on the central streets has been severely affected and sewage water has accumulated, creating a traffic jam.
Sewage water has also accumulated in front of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, which has hindered the movement of patients.
Karachi’s eight underpasses underwater The issue is not simply of a burst pipeline – it goes back for years as the water board has failed to maintain or replace its pipelines, due to which the sewerage system is slowly collapsing. Compounding problems, in many areas sewage is mixing with drinking water. Contaminated water is being supplied to houses in North Karachi, New Karachi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Landhi and Korangi, but the water board has stayed silent on this issue.
According to sources, millions of rupees have been allocated for repair work and replacement of lines, yet there is no improvement in the system.
Main streets in Lines Area have been inundated for months yet repair work has still not commenced.
The flow of traffic in areas like Saddar, which are congested even when the roads are not filled with sewage water, has been severely affected, with motorists stuck in traffic jams for extended periods of time.
Sewage water has also accumulated on roads of the area starting from Paposh Nagar to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the situation is no different than the one in Saddar. In various blocks of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, water is overflowing out of gutters. The situation has worsened to the extent that sewage water has accumulated in various apartment compounds. Every second street of Landhi, Korangi, Orangi Town, North Karachi, New Karachi, Liaquatabad, PIB Colony, Jamshed Colony, Soldier Bazaar, Garden, Lyari, Keamari and Baldia town have pools of sewage water.
Thunderstorm on second consecutive day cripples Karachi Sources in the KWSB said that millions of rupees have allocated for the repair of sewerage lines and the replacement of pipes but no work is being carried out due to which the sewerage system has collapsed in Karachi.
Technical Deputy Managing Director Asadullah Khan told The Express Tribune that repair work on the main sewerage trunk line near Metropole Hotel will be completed by Wednesday. He explained that a 56-inch diameter line sank a few days ago.
According to him, a 60-year-old pipeline had completed its life and resultantly sank, affecting the area from Fatimah Jinnah Road to Cantt Station.
The repair work on the line was started on Sunday and the effect of the broken line was being seen in the electronic market of Saddar, he said. KWSB‘s managing director could not be reached for his version.
Protest imminent Tipu Sultan Road has been in a state of disrepair for the past two weeks, with potable water in the area severely affected by the overflowing sewage water.
The residents have warned of a protest if the issue is not resolved by the local government minister.
The gross negligence of the KSWB management also affected the sewerage system in Shabbirabad Block A, Syedna Yousuf Road and Syedna Zoeb Road. Roads in the areas are inundated while polluted water on lanes and street remains stagnant, posing issues for the passers-by and residents.
Khan attributed the situation to a lack of funds, adding that the issue could not be resolved. Labeling water supplied by water board unfit for human consumption, he recommended the consumption of mineral water. ―The purchase and consumption of mineral water is a normal practice across the city, so you should adopt it too,‖ he said. However, he granted permission to the residents to change the water pipelines at their own expense. (By Naeem Khanzada THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 13, 28/12/2017)
Water and sanitation: 28 treatment plants in nine districts approved
The provincial government will install 28 treatment plants to treat industrial waste in nine districts of Sindh.
This was decided in the third meeting in recent weeks on water and sanitation in Sindh, presided over by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Saturday.
Briefing the meeting, the Planning and Development Board Chairperson Mohammad Waseem said 21 districts of Sindh, which did not include Karachi, generated 100.45 million gallons of municipal, industrial and hospital sewage per day and discharged it from 755 points into clean water sources.
SC wants district-wise reports, cutoff dates for water and sanitation projects The meeting was informed that 0.38MGD of sewage was discharged through Jacobabad district into water bodies through 10 points, 5.82MGD from Kashmore through 10 points, 5.15MGD from Kamber-Shahdadkot through 87 points, 3MGD from Larkana through 135 points, 0.53MGD from Shikarpur through 35 points, 3.05MGD from Ghotki through eight points, 5.84MGD from Khairpur through 76 points and 29.5MGD from Sukkur through 100 points. Apart from this, 6.62MGD will be discharged from Badin through 19 points, 0.19MGD from Dadu through 30 points, 10MGD from Hyderabad through 70 points, 3.7MGD from Jamshoro through nine points, 1.09MGD from Matiari through eight points, 0.06MGD from Sujawal through two points, 4.8MGD from Tando Allahyar through 18 points, 3.91MGD from Tando Muhammad Khan through nine points, 0.22MGD from Thatta through six points, 0.22MGD from Mirpurkhas through 20 points, 7.02MGD from Sanghar through 10 points, 6.44MGD from Naushero Feroz through 43 locations while 2.9MGD of sewage was discharged from Shaheed Benazirabad district through 50 locations.
It was decided during the meeting that 28 treatment plants would be installed for treating industrial effluent in Sukkur, Kot ri, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Thatta, Sujawal, Jamshoro and other locations. The plants would cost around Rs9.61 billion, the meeting was informed.
The CM was told that treatment plants in Ghotki and Hyderabad were not included in the amount because the plants in both the districts had already been approved under the Annual Development Programme.
Shah said he wanted the treatment plants to be completed by mid 2019.
PFA to ban wastewater use for edible crops Speaking about the Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan (S-III), Waseem said it was a Rs36.12 billion scheme that would treat 460MGD of waste water. The PC-I for the project had been cleared by the Capital Development Working Party and later the Executive Committee of National Economic Council also approved its revised PC-I, he said.
The meeting was informed that 460MGD of sewage was discharged from Karachi, which included 363MGD of municipal sewage, 3MGD of hospital sewage and 94MGD industrial sewage.
Discussing the K-IV project, Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro said the population of Karachi was 16.05 million, including 14.91 million urban and 1.14 rural population. Total water requirement of Karachi was 802.6MGD, the local government minister said, adding that the existing supply was 650MGD. The financial progress of the K-IV project was 27% and physical progress was 30%, Shoro said.
The CM directed Karachi Water and Sewerage Board Managing Director Hashim Raza Zaidi to start working on the construction of a 100-megawatt power plant. He also directed him to start negotiating for acquiring a rental power plant so that the K-IV project could start in 2019.
SC orders inquiry into Mehmoodabad treatment plant’s land allotment Shah was informed that five treatment plants in Hyderabad were being rehabilitated at a cost of Rs1.52 billion to treat 62MGD of sewage. The projects included the rehabilitation of a new treatment plant of 30MGD at a cost of Rs154.53 million, rehabilitat ion of an old 10MGD treatment plant at a cost of Rs195.04 million, rehabilitation of the Hala Naka treatment plant of 8MGD at a cost of Rs185.09 million and rehabilitation of the 8MGD Preetabad Treatment Plant at a cost of Rs189.78 million. The projects woul d be completed by December 2018, Shah was told, while the Hussainabad Treatment Plant of 6MGD would start operations in June 2020.
The meeting was also attended by Public Health Engineering Minister Fayaz Ali Butt, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Principal Secretary to the CM Sohail Rajput, Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho, Irrigation Secretary Jamal Shah, Industries Secretary Rahim Soomro, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency Director-General Baqaullah Unar and others. (THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE 14, 31/12/2017)