SC forms body to resolve acute water shortage in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Friday constituted a two-member commission for resolving the acute shortage of drinking water in Bhagnari area of Bolan in Balochistan and directed the commission to formulate recommendations for overcoming shortage of drinking water there.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar resumed hearing in a suo motu case Friday regarding shortage of clean drinking water in Bhagnari area of Bolan district, Balochistan. On December 8 the chief justice had taken suo motu notice of non-availability of pure and safe drinking water to the people of Bhagnari area.

The notice was taken on a video gone viral on social media and a programme telecast by a private TV channel showing that people and animals of the area were drinking contaminated, polluted and unhygienic stagnant water from the same pond outside the Bhagnari area.

Taking notice of the issue, the chief justice had directed advocate general, chief secretary, health secretary and secretary Public Health Engineering Department, deputy commissioner Bolan to appear in court on December 14.

On Friday, the court constituted a two-member commission headed by Supreme Court Bar Association President Amanullah Kanrani and engineer Usman Babar will be the other member of the commission.

The court directed the commission to formulate recommendations as to how the shortage of clean drinking water could be overcome in the area and sought a report within two weeks. The chief justice also asked Amanullah Kanrani to prepare list of areas in the province, where clean drinking water is not available to the people. The court directed that officials from irrigation and other departments were required to extend full cooperation to the commission.