‘KWSB failed to meet needs of 40pc of Karachi’s population’

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has apparently failed to cater to the needs of at least 40 per cent of Karachi’s population due to poor maintenance of its distribution system, indifferent employees and the department’s connivance with the water mafia, among other reasons.

This was observed by the judicial commission probing the non-provision of clean drinking water, sanitation and healthy environment to the people of Sindh as its head (retd) Amir Hani Muslim filed the commission’s third interim report to the Supreme Court on Saturday.

Water and drainage

The commission observed that KWSB has apparently failed to meet the needs of the city’s population due to several reasons that include improper resource allocation, unplanned urban growth, poor maintenance of distribution system, indifference on part of the water board employees and, above all, the connivance of the department with various water mafias.

The report said the organisation needed a complete overhaul to meet the requirements of the ever-growing Karachi population, and this will require substantive resources and reasonable time to implement.

Regarding the Greater Karachi Sewage Treatment Project (S-III), the commission observed that the project has seen a marked improvement.

According to the report, TP-III was working at 3 per cent in January, but with rehabilitation efforts, it is now working at 31 per cent capacity, and by June 30, it will start treating 54 million gallons per day (MGD). Moreover, the TP-I was working at 3 per cent capacity in January, and now with rehabilitation, it is working at 18 per cent. By December, it will start treating 51 million gallons per day.

Making its observations on the Greater Karachi Water Supply Project (K-IV), the commission noted that it has been put on the fast track and as per the revised work plan, its completion date is June. So far the project progress stands at 36 per cent, which is likely to meet the deadline. The commission in its report also observed that the major reason behind the civic problems in Karachi was the violation/non-observance of building codes with or without the connivance of the Sindh Building Control Authority.

In order to streamline the working of the SBCA, various orders have been passed that are aimed at improving the current situation and terminating the undesirable activities/practices being carried out under the garb of building regulation, the report stated. It added that the SBCA has been directed to prepare master plans for all major cities of Sindh at a faster track, while the SBCA has also imposed a ban on the issuance of development permits to housing schemes and construction permits to public sale/buildings without NOCs from utility agencies.

The report added that the commission has taken notice of the violation of environmental protection laws by the Defence Housing Authority and Cantonment boards and directed them to come up with a solution to avoid drainage of untreated sewage through storm water drains into the Arabian Sea as such practices not only cause inconvenience to visitors but also destroy the marine life.

Garbage disposal

According to the judicial commission’s report, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board has mobilised all its resources and potential and has almost doubled its daily garbage disposal from 5,268 tonnes in December 2017 to 9,564 tonnes per day in the first week of May this year.

Moreover, the SSWMB was directed to establish landfill sites in all major districts of Sindh and progress has been made in Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mithi, Umerkot and some districts of Hyderabad division.

With regard to the removal of encroachment from drains, the commission observed that Rs500 million has been released by the provincial government and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation will start cleaning storm water drains as soon as codal formalities are completed following the opening of tenders on May 28.

The report further added that five incinerators were rehabilitated in various hospitals but their performance was not satisfactory, so the health department was ordered to install better quality incinerators in major hospitals.