All unregistered RO plants to be removed, SHC told

All unregistered reverse osmosis (RO) plants will be removed and none of them will be allowed to operate in Karachi, the Sindh Food Authority director legal told the Sindh High Court on Tuesday.

The court was hearing a petition filed by a citizen, Zulqarnain, against an RO plant operating in North Nazimabad. The petitioner said the RO plant was being operated in a residential area without any permission from the relevant authority.

He said people in the area were disturbed due to the use of heavy generators at the RO plant. He requested the court to direct the authorities concerned to remove the RO plant from the residential area.

After receiving a court notice, the Sindh Food Authority director legal along with his counsel appeared before the court and submitted that no unregistered and unlicensed RO plants would be allowed to operate in the city.

The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui, directed the Sindh Food Authority to submit a compliance report in this regard within a week. It is pertinent to mention that the additional district commissioner central had earlier submitted that 146 RO plants, including the respondent’s plant, was operating in the district central without registration or permission from the relevant authority.

He had said only 24 RO plants were either registered or were in the process of registration. The district officer had said the Sindh Food Authority was responsible to take action against the unregistered RO plants.