Sindh Water Commission Monday took strong notice of acute water shortage in Karachi and held Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KW&SB) responsible for destroying the water supply & distribution network in the metropolis. The Commission also directed Sindh Solid Waste Management Board to withhold salaries of those employees of district municipal councils, who don't turn up to discharge their duties in their respective areas.
It also ordered to initiate the departmental proceedings against the absentees when it resumed its hearing on provision of water, cleaning of nullahs and storm water system and lifting of solid waste in the city. The commission headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim (R) took stock of the issues and deliberated upon by issuing directives to improvement situation in various areas concerning Karachi.
Commission, particularly came hard on KW&SB and asked KW&SB's lawyer to explain where "Karachi's water" has gone as people are suffering from acute water shortage. "Where is MD Water Board," Justice Hani (r) asked, which prompted the KW&SB officials in the meeting to immediately call their boss, who was quick to reach in the proceeding to face the tough questions on water availability in the city.
"Do you read the newspapers which are reporting that citizens are without water," head of the commission said to MD Water Board Khalid Sheikh after he appeared in the commission. "People should be thankful who are getting the water," MD responded, which triggered immediate remarks from the head, "What are you taking about. Provision of water is your responsibility and you ought to discharge it."
Justice Hani pointed out people in the neighbourhood of water hydrants are deprived of water. "Why the people are deprived of tapped water," he questioned when MD Water Board told the commission that water board supplies water through tankers on phone calls and SMS.
Sheikh admitted that there are certain issues in provision of water, adding that the board is sensitized about the sufferings of people when they don't get adequate water.
On Sindh Solid Waste Management Board and the issues of contractor, tasked with lifting the garbage, commission directed the board to ensure that all employees transferred by DMCS shall be working with the contractor.
Commission also pointed out that contractor has failed to comply with the agreement by not employing the required manpower as per the agreement. "Solid Waste Management Board shall deduct the amount of salaries of such number of employees, which are supposed to be employees but have not been hired by the contractor so far," commission ordered.
Commission was informed that Sindh Waste Management Board doesn't have the monitoring system district-wise. So the deputy commissioners have been ordered to act as coordinator within their districts for monitoring.
Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar also appeared in today's proceedings of the commission and informed it that his team is working on the storm water drains within their domain and assured that details of this task would be furnished with the commission on Tuesday (today).
Officials of Karachi Development Authority (KDA) also appeared in the meeting. KDA has been tasked to clean Gujjar Nullah, but the authority lacks the professional capacity and competence to complete this task. It also transpired during the deliberations that the consultant hired by KDA to do this task also seems to be unfit to undertake hydraulic designs efficiently.
The Commission decided that its Focal Person Asif Haider Shah will expedite contracting out lifting of solid waste in district Central Karachi after this the council passed a resolution in favour of Sindh Solid Waste Management Board to carry out the task on April 19, 2018.
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