June 11, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 10: Members of district council on Tuesday voiced in unison their frustration over failure of Water and Sanitation Agency in supplying clean drinking water to people despite huge spending by district government in water supply sector.

Chairman of the council’s works committee, Munawar Zai, told the session that the district government had spent a total of Rs1,352.7 million on several schemes for supply of clean drinking water, and expressed surprise that there was still no letup in complaints about supply of contaminated water.

Hussain Bux Hussaini started the barrage against Wasa, showing a bottle of polluted water to executive engineers of Latifabad, Hyderabad and Qasimabad talukas who were present in the session.

Babu Ilyas, Sajida Baloch, Nasir Gaddi and others supported Hussaini saying that they too had been receiving complaints about supply of polluted water in their areas.

“The filter plant had been inaugurated four months ago but people were still getting unclean water. I haven’t seen such polluted water during last seven years. Should we again speak to district nazim?” said Babu Ilyas.

Sajid Baloch said that feasibility report on water supply to Narejo Goth had not been finalised although XEN of Latifabad had visited the area and district nazim had assured that the Goth would get water from HDA’s water supply line to Fateh Chowk but it did not happen. “I can show you insects in the water that is being supplied to my area,” she said.

Referring to growing incidents of blockade of railways traffic, Nasir Gaddi said that such incidents were becoming a matter of routine but supply of water still remained a far cry.

A highly charged Ashraf Munna said that Wasa was a cause of insult for elected members who had to face the major brunt of public anger while officials comfortably switched off their cellphones.

He said that he had been complaining about supply of polluted water for last four months but nobody bothered to respond. “Wasa should be wound up if it had failed to deliver,” he said.

Ishtiaq Ahmed and Rashid Khan called for inquiries against the officials belonging to district or provincial government for negligence. If union council nazims started speaking against them they would feel it hard to keep sitting in the house, they said.

Q. Mohammad Hakim tried to defend Wasa by raising the issue of discontinuation of subsidy to the agency. The expenditure and salaries of officials were higher than its recovery, he said.

Mehboob Abro asked why water supply issue was still haunting people despite spending of millions of rupees under Hyderabad Development Package (HDP) and two governor’s packages. Highly polluted water was being supplied to Qasimabad, he complained.

Aslam Sheikh said that a reservoir of 300,000 gallons had been built in Amani Shah Colony but it had not yet been made operational. Wasa was working in league with private tanker operators. If water was available for supply through tankers why the same could not be supplied through pipelines, he asked.

Munawar Zai told the session that Rs670.9 million, Rs109.8 million and Rs572 million had been spent under different packages on water supply schemes. “You may get the inquiries conducted because we have spent money honestly,” he said.

The XEN of Latifabad failed to satisfy members though he did attempt to give replies to their queries.

The convenor proposed that a meeting should be held between Wasa and UC nazims at the district nazim secretariat or at his office to discuss the issue in detail and make recommendations to district nazim.

The session approved proposal of EDO of health for hiring a consultant to work on solid waste management project, and reappropriation of funds of Bhittai hospital’s cardiac unit.