HYDERABAD, Sept 16: The inquiry committee on release of polluted water of the Manchhar Lake into the River Indus did not hold its scheduled meeting here on Wednesday.
The committee, headed by Sindh irrigation secretary Ashfaq Memon with agriculture secretary Sabhago Khan Jatoi and Mirpurkhas DCO Siddiq Memon as members, was formed by the chief minister on June 11 and it was required to submit its report to the government within 15 days.
The committee has recorded statements of officials concerned, including the then director-general of the Hyderabad Development Authority, Ali Ahmad Lund, then chief engineer of the Sukkur Barrage, Ghulam Nabi Mughal, then EDO, health, Dr Agha Tariq, then managing director of the Water and Sanitation Agency, Kafeel Ahmad, and the medical superintendent of the civil hospital, Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi. The former secretary for irrigation, Bashir Dahar, is yet to record his statement.
The committee had held its last meeting on Sept 8 when Ashfaq Memon and Siddiq Memon recorded statements after visiting lagoons, water works and the treatment plant of the HDA in presence of District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman, DCO, who is the focal person of the committee, and other officials.
Statements of Kotri Barrage chief engineer Agha Ali Hassan Pathan, Jamshoro thermal power house chief engineer Abu Adil, Wasa executive engineer Bashir Awan and assistant engineer Saleemuddin have not been recorded as their names were incorporated by police at the time of submission of the charge-sheet.
