KARACHI: The Supreme Court has sought a district-wise report from the provincial government, asking it to give the court a timeframe and its plans to lay a proper sewerage system along with treatment plants; provision of sufficient uncontaminated water to the citizens.
A three-judge apex court bench, headed by the Chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah issued its written order of the hearing attended by the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and former City Nazim Mustafa Kamal. After the hearing that lasted for several hours, the judges were of the view that they felt in the circumstances that this sensitive issue of supplying potable water and discharge of sewerage throughout the province into a proper developed sewerage system could only be managed once the chief minister places on record detailing the targeted dates for addressing these issues.
In the order the provincial authorities were directed to furnish district-wise report specifying a cutoff date on which all points from where municipal, hospital and industrial sewerage was being discharged in the ultimate source of clean water, may it be River Indus, its canals or any other sources, were plugged.
The bench passed the directives of summoning district-wise report reflecting a timeframe for making proper sewerage system in all the districts of the province. The Sindh authorities were also directed to apprise the court in their reports that when will the treatment plants be installed or made operational to their full capacity for ensuring discharge of treated sewerage. “All projects planned by the government in that pursuit shall be stated district wise with their cutoff dates for completion,” the apex court ruled.
Besides, the CJP-headed bench asked the provincial government to submit fresh reports in respect of K-4 and S-III and the extent of work completed so far in percentage along with the expected date of completion.
“District wise report showing the plans with their cutoff date for ensuring sufficient uncontaminated water for every district according to its population should also be submitted,” the bench maintained in its written order.
The provincial authorities were directed to file reports on above-mentioned issues within four weeks and the hearing will be resumed in the 4th week of January 2018.
Published in Daily Times, December 10th 2017.
