HYDERABAD: Mithi Senior Civil Judge Mian Fayyaz Rabbani, who is working as relief inspecting judge in the drought-hit region of Tharparkar under a Sindh High Court order, has informed the Mithi deputy commissioner that the recently inaugurated reverse osmosis (RO) plant, billed as Asia’s largest, lacks the projected capacity.

The judge in a communication to the DC said he had inspected the plant and its storage tank on Feb 21 and found that although it was Asia’s largest RO plant, it did not have the required storage capacity. The judge also wrote a separate letter to the Thar Coal Authority (TCA), which is said to be looking after the plant, seeking to ensure that the storage capacity of two million gallons per day of water for seven days should be created. He had earlier observed that the RO plant also lacked a laboratory for testing quality of water.

He paid the second visit on Feb 21 before writing the letter to the DC, and informed him the existing water storage tanks maintained by the TMA were not cleaned for many years and, as such, contamination in water could not be ruled out.

The relief judge called for cleaning of tanks to maintain different parameters of drinking water. Steps should be taken by the municipal authorities for ensuring regular chlorination of water, he stressed.

He pointed out that the capacity of the RO Plant was 2MGD whereas the storage capacity of TMA’s ponds/tanks was not more than 1MGD. Thus it was needed to be enhanced accordingly so that 4MGD water could be stored for at least two days.

He advised the DC of Mithi to supply sweet water (of canal) in case water of the RO plant was not available, as was supplied prior to the construction of the facility. He called for proper monitoring by the local government and a clearly laid down distribution schedule.

He had received complaints regarding supply of untreated water which prompted him to visit the RO plant installed in Mithi.

He sent copies of his communication to the registrar of the Sindh High Court, additional registrar of its Hyderabad circuit bench, local government secretary, RO plant administrator at Mithi and the relevant health officer and taluka municipal officer.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2015

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