KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated commission on water and sanitation in Sindh on Monday summoned the secretary works and services over removal of obstructions from Sukkur Barrage’s left bank.
The commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Amir Hani Muslim, was informed by the chief engineer of the barrage’s left bank that two orders of the Sindh High Court (SHC) handed down in 2011 and 2015 about removal of such obstacles had not been complied with due to some technical reasons.
He also contended that the SHC’s Hyderabad circuit bench’s orders were regarding removal of the obstructions from the left bank since the flow of water downstream was being stopped.
The chief engineer maintained that the removal of a bridge was not the issue, but other obstructions needed to be eliminated.
The commission observed that under the given circumstances, when the bridge in question came within the domain of the secretary works and services, the presence of the secretary was required to draw up a strategy to remove the obstructions without causing any loss to the bridge as well as in compliance with the SHC’s orders.
The commission summoned the secretary works as well as the chairman of commission’s task force, who is also the secretary irrigation, to appear along with the relevant officers on Oct 29.
The commission also put off a matter about water issues in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) over the absence of managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.
The secretary of DHA and project director of phase-VIII contended that the required quantity of water in terms of undertaking given by the KWSB had not been provided.
Since the MD was reportedly busy in the Supreme Court, the matter was adjourned till Oct 29.
Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2018
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