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Friday March 29, 2024

Removal of encroachments from Mehmoodabad treatment plant ordered

By Jamal Khurshid
January 15, 2017

Judicial commission also orders LG secretary and KWSB MD to ensure Haroonabad and Hawkesbay treatment plants are functional within six weeks

The judicial commission investigating the non-provision of clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and a healthy environment to the people of Sindh directed the DIG East, the deputy commissioner and anti-encroachment police on Saturday to ensure that the encroached 40 acres of the Mehmoodabad treatment plant were reclaimed from land grabbers.

The judicial commission headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro observed that the state of affairs apparently not only pointed out the apathy and negligence on part of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board but also led to the conclusion that the its officials were hands in gloves with the encroachers in the entire scheme.

The deputy commissioner, the DIG and the SSP East appeared before the commission in connection with the encroachment of Mehmoodabad treatment plant land.

DIG East Arif Hanif submitted that the entire treatment plant area was more than 120 acres but the KWSB had entered into an agreement the defunct City District Government Karachi for the allotment of 50 acres for a housing scheme.

He submitted that after the allotment, people started encroaching upon the remaining land of the facility. Currently, 40 more acres were encroached upon.

He submitted that although the KWSB had an inbuilt security system to monitor and watch its installations, but so far its action was confined only to the issuance of some toothless and fruitless notices to wrongdoers without any follow-up.

The DIG East undertook that if any assistance was required by the KWSB for removing the encroachments and reclaiming the land to make the treatment plant functional, he police would be ready to do so.

KWSB sewerage and pumping chief engineer Azam Khan submitted that an FIR against the encroachments was lodged four years ago but he was unaware about what action was taken against land grabbers and currently how many people were illegally occupying the land.

He also admitted that no complaint or report was ever made to the secretary local government or other quarters against the encroachments.

The commission directed the deputy commissioner, the DIG, and the SSP East to immediately take measures to remove the encroachments from the Mehmoodabad treatment plant land and submit a report within a week.

Regarding the allotment of 50 acres land to the defunct CDGK for a housing scheme, the commission issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers to assist it in understanding as to under what law such an agreement could be executed.

The commission was informed that if proper security was provided to the KWSB staff, the treatment plants in Haroonabad and Hawkesbay behind the Mauripur truck stand could be made functional too also given that financial issue was also addressed as per the KWSB Act.

The local government secretary briefed the commission about the upgrading of the treatment plants. The commission observed that the exercise was being carried out since 2011 but nothing had been done yet.

The commission directed the local government secretary and the KWSB managing director to ensure that the Haroonabad and Hawkesbay treatment plants were made functional within six weeks.

On the Mehmoodabad treatment plant, the authorities of the local government and the KWSB submitted that the facility could be made functional within three months if proper security was provided to the staff.

The DIG and SSP East assured the commission that the KWSB staff would be provided protected in accordance with the law for running the facility.

The commission was informed that 200 acres were allocated for a treatment plant in Korangi and that land too could be encroached upon if appropriate steps were not taken to make it functional.

The commission directed the KWSB managing director to produce the records of the Haroonabad, Mehmoodabad and Hawkesbay treatment plants including their functioning, fund allocation and consumption of budget.

The KWSB chief was also directed to inform the commission about initiatives taken by the board to revive these facilities including the details of staff deputed there,

The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency director general, a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (technical service) official, the local government secretary and the irrigation secretary also filed their statements.