Police told to stop illegal excavation from Manghopir hills

Judicial commission observes all industrial waste of
Karachi being dumped into sea without treatment

The judicial commission probing into the non-provision of clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and a healthy environment to the people of Sindh directed the DIG West on Friday to take action to stop the illegal mining and excavation of sand from Manghopir hills where the water board’s filter plant was situated and submit a compliance report.

The commission, headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, was told by Karachi Water and Sewerage Board officials that that if the illegal activity of excavation was not stopped, the infrastructure of the plant including the water reservoir there could cave in. Mines and mineral department assistant director Rashid Amir submitted that no mining and excavation licence for Manghopir hills had been issued by his department.

The DIG and SSP West submitted that they had provided assistance to the Karachi water and sewerage board in stopping the illegal mining, the excavation of sand and stone crushing at the Manghopir hills.

They added that a police picket would be set up there to stop this activity in future.

The commission directed the West deputy commissioner to take action against the encroachers who had occupied areas of the Manghopir hills which were allocated to the KWSB.

KWSB superintendent engineer Zafar Palejo submitted that he would visit the deputy commissioner’s office along with the relevant record of the land which was allocated to the water board and encroached upon by land grabbers.

The commission also told water board officials to submit details of the sewerage plants set up to filter the effluent discharged by factories.

The commission was informed that Mehmoodabad sewerage plant land was encroached upon.

The commission directed the KWSB deputy managing director to ensure that the filter plant at Manghopir became operational within a week and submit a compliance report.

The commission orders the DIG and SSP South to appear before it on January 14.

Industrial waste

The officials of the Korangi and Landhi industrial associations submitted that there were 3,500 and 200 industrial units established in their respective zones. Landhi industrial association secretary Akhtar Ali Khan submitted that environmental protection officers visited their units sometimes and last time it was four months ago. He undertook to submit all information of these visits. The commission observed that all industrial effluent was discharged in the sea without treatment.

The commission also visited the Karachi port and gathered samples there.

The ports and shipping director general and Karachi port authorities informed the commission that industrial effluent was discharged into the sea without any treatment which was not only causing environmental hazard to marine life but also difficulties for  shipping operations.