Commission seeks explanation from KE, other power utilities

The judicial commission for water and sanitation issued notices to the CEOs of the K-Electric, the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company and the Sukkur Electric Power Company telling them explain as to why power connections to water supply schemes had not been restored despite payment of dues.

The commission, headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, was conducting the proceedings in light of the Supreme Court’s directives. A three-member bench of the apex court had ordered that the judicial commission it had formed would continue to work with all powers conferred on it as the issues in these proceedings had a direct impact on the lives and health of the public of Sindh.

The court had ordered that the judicial commission would ensure the compliance of its directives and also take all steps to see that the task force formed by the Sindh government complied with the recommendations contained in its report.

Public health engineering department deputy secretary Riaz Hussain submitted to the commission a list of water supply schemes in different districts of the province that lying non-functional because of the failure of the K-Electric, Hesco and Sepco to provide them with the requisite power connections to run them even though fees had been deposited through challans.

The commission issued notices to the K-Electric, Hesco and Sepco for April 22 directing their heads to come up with an explanation as to why the requisite electricity connections had not been provided to the water schemes.

The commission asked the focal person of the chief secretary as to why the director general of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency was not appointed yet despite the court orders.

Focal person Dr Saeed Ahmed Qureshi submitted that the Sepa DG would be appointed within three days in compliance with the court orders.

Regarding the complaints of lifting of sand from the Malir River bed that was damaging is water conduits, irrigation secretary Jamal Mustada Syed told the commission that proper monitoring would be ensured through an officer of his department to prevent this activity. He added that weekly reports would be submitted to the commission.

The commission also directed the district judge (Malir) to submit a report on the present status of sand lifting from the Malir River bed.

The irrigation secretary, who is also chairman of the task force, also submitted detailed report in compliance with the judicial commission’s recommendations. He submitted that the task force had formulated components to work on and time frames and target dates for the completion of tasks. 

Project director of K-IV project Saleem Siddiqui submitted that 260 MGD water would be supplied to Karachi after the first phase of K-IV project which would be completed by June 30, 2018.

The KWSB MD submitted that water would be supplied to all citizens of Karachi through the K-IV scheme, not only to mega housing projects.

Health secretary Dr Fazalullah Pechuho submitted a report highlighting short term plans to implement the Sindh Hospital Waste Management Rules 2014.

He said directives had been issued to the director general of hospitals to implement the rules in private hospitals and laboratories The commission directed the secretary to submit a report on August 22.

The commission directed the federal law officer to submit report on the disposal of waste of the federal-run hospitals within two weeks.

On the shifting of the management of RO plants from the special initiative department and the Sindh coal authority to the public health engineering department, the focal person of chief secretary sought 15 days’ time for submitting a compliance report.

The commission directed the KWSB MD, the board of revenue and the KMC to submit reports on the functioning of the treatment plant -II in Mehmoodabad which was allegedly encroached upon and leased out by the KMC.