Sindh Water Commission (SWC) on Tuesday directed to chalk out a strategy for taking action against those found involved in throwing garbage at public places in the city and ordered Karachi Mayor to issue notices to concerned authorities, in this regard.
One-man judicial commission headed by former judge of Supreme Court (SC) Justice Amir Hani Muslim (retd) issued these directives when it deliberated upon the issue of cleaning of nullahs in Karachi.
Karachi Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar and officials of Local Government department appeared in the proceedings. The SWC's head inquired about the cleaning of storm water drains in the city and under whose authority it falls.
Wasim Akhtar informed the commission that the cleaning of main storm water drains is within the domain of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation whereas other falls in the jurisdictions of district administrations. There are 594 storm water drains in the city out of which 38 are managed by KMC. The KMC officials informed the commission that people throw garbage in nullahs. They cited the instance of a famous business tower in the city, whose occupants throw the garbage in the nullah passed by the tower.
"Whether challan has been issued against any shopkeeper of this business tower, SWC's head asked. He referred to a video of India which got viral after a high profile person was made to face action for throwing garbage on road while driving.
Karachi Mayor remarked, "Sir! Had this happened here, the officer would have been suspended for taking action." District Karachi District Central chairman Rehan Hashmi informed the court he had proposed Rs 5000 fine for those found to be throwing garbage at public place with the deployment of police to check such elements.
The Commission also took up the issue of plastic bag manufacturing factories and their compliance with the rules & regulation. Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Director told the commission that notices have been issued to these factories to act upon the relevant laws while manufacturing the plastic bags.
The SWV directed DG SEPA and Secretary Environment Sindh to appear in the proceedings of the commission on Wednesday (today) to explain about the issue. It ordered strict compliance with the laws to manufacture the plastic bags.
On theft of water from canals in Keti Bandar area of Sindh, the Commission issued notices to IGP Sindh and concerned SSPs of the province to implement relevant laws to check the theft of the water from canals.
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