Govt directed to submit concrete proposals for RBOD, CETP, S-III projects

The judicial commission probing Sindh’s water and sanitation issues directed the provincial advocate general on Saturday to submit a concrete proposal that outlines resuming the work on the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD), the combined effluent treatment plants (CETPs) and the S-III sewerage project.

The judicial commission headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro was conducting the proceedings in the light of the Supreme Court’s directives on continuation of the commission.

Planning and development secretary Shoaib Siddiqui and the Sindh advocate general appeared before the commission to reply queries in respect of progress on the RBOD, CETPs and S-III projects.

Sindh Advocate General Zamir Ghumro sought time on ground that the chief minister, the chief secretary and other officials were busy in pre-budget meetings as the provincial budget was to be presented on June 5 and, therefore, the government could not immediately finalise the matter.

He assured the commission that either before the next proceedings of commission the provincial government would submit a concrete proposal outlining the resuming of remaining work on the RBOD-II, the CETPs and S-III projects.

He also assured that proposals floated by the Kalri Baghar Circle’s senior engineer regarding treatment of industrial effluent at the Darya Khan pumping station in Hyderabad would also be sorted out at the highest level and within four to five days a plan, as short term measures, would be submitted before the commission for implementation to resolve the effluent issue in the Phulelli canal, Hyderabad.

Chairman Task Force Jamal Mustafa Syed said the CETP Kotri had not been made fully functional due to constant breakdown of power.

MD SITE Ghulam Mujtaba submitted that the generator to supply power would be installed at the said facility to cope up with the power shortage and, thereafter, the treatment plant would fully functional.

The commission directed the MD SITE to submit a report with regard to all steps to ensure that all components of the CETP Kotri were made functional without any further delay.

The commission also directed Jamal Mustafa Syed to submit a report regarding the scheme being executed at each water hydrant for taking water from there.

The commission said the report should contain all necessary details with particular reference to the quantity of water being taken from each water hydrant. In case some anomaly is found, all necessary steps should be taken to remove them to ensure transparency, the commission maintained.

The commission directed the deputy secretary of public health engineering department to submit a report on water supply and drainage schemes launched in the past but not yet completed and cite reasons for their non-compliance.

The commission directed the public health engineering department’s official to explain the inordinate long phasing of schemes and reasons as to why the phasing of future schemes could not be shortened.