KARACHI, Feb 19: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday asked attorney-general to assist it in adjudication of a number of petitions challenging the enhanced water and conservancy rates in Karachi and the validity of certain provisions of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO).

The petitions have been moved by the Pakistan Textile Mills Association and about a dozen of its members through Advocate Muhammad Ali Sayeed. Challenging the notification seeking to raise the water and conservancy rates by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, they say the newly effected exorbitant charges would affect industrial development adversely. The notification is detrimental to the entire industrial and commercial activity.

Citing an example, the counsel submitted that Gul Ahmed Textile Mills, one of the petitioners which previously paid Rs50,000 per year by way of water and conservancy charges, was now required to pay Rs1.8 million annually for the same service. How would industrial and commercial concerns run profitably with this kind of steep rise in the cost of infrastructure? he asked.

He said Section 62 of the SLGO, which empowered the civic bodies in this behalf, was repugnant to constitutional guarantees. It was well nigh impossible of enforcement.

Appearing for the City District Government and KWSB respectively, advocates Abrar Hasan and A. Karim Khan submitted that conservancy rates went up in proportion to the increase in water consumption by the industrial and commercial units. The main problem was that while one million water and sewerage connections had been sanctioned, only 300,000 of the consumers had been assessed by the excise and taxation department. Mr Hasan undertook to produce a chart containing all the relevant details of water connections, supply and consumption, the cost involved and the charges recovered.

A division bench comprising Justices Sabihuddin Ahmed and S. Aslam Ali Jafri issued notice to the advocate-general for February 27 besides seeking the attorney-general’s assistance.