Vohra accuses Sindh govt of violating 18th Amendment

Karachi Deputy Mayor Dr Arshad Vohra on Sunday accused the Sindh government of violating the 18th constitutional amendment by seeking to centralise the city’s municipal affairs instead of devolving them.

“It is unfortunate that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has no authority over water supply, sewerage disposal and environmental management affairs of the metropolis,” said the deputy mayor while speaking at the 14th Annual Environment Excellence Awards 2017.

He said by establishing the Sindh Building Control Authority, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board and seizing control of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board the provincial government exacerbated the city’s municipal crises; acute water shortage in the city is just one example of that mess, he added.

Dr Vohra expressed serious concerns over the quality of water being supplied to the people of Karachi and termed it unfit for human consumption. He said the K-IV Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme was conceived years ago during the previous tenure of the city district government; however, since then the city’s water supply demand has increased manifold, so much so that even the K-IV project alone would not be able to fulfil it. Furthermore, he lamented the extent of environmental degradation in the city.

The project focusing on installation of four combined effluent treatment plants for industrial estates of the city was approved during the Musharraf regime and funds had also been released. “But later governments did not focus on implementing the project.” Out of the total water quota allocated to Sindh by ISRA only three per cent was being provided to Karachi, said Vohra.