0
KARACHI, Oct 2: A major reshuffle has been carried out in the city government’s water and sanitation department in order to bring about an improvement in the department’s working.
A number of senior officials have been transferred to other posts within the department.
The most significant development appeared to be that the former managing director (technical services), Aftab Ahmed, who had earlier been on a long leave, has now been made officer on special duty (OSD) and would be performing his duties as technical adviser to the department’s Executive District Officer, Brig Asif Ghazali.
The chief engineer (sewerage), Mr Asudomal, has been transferred and posted as superintending engineer (sewerage - south) and director (design and estimate), Fareed Soomro, has been made chief engineer (sewerage) whereas superintending engineer (sewerage - south), Anwar Saeed, has been asked to report to the chief engineer (water distribution).
Besides, assistant engineer (society) has been posted as AE, Gulberg Town while the posting of the AE (Gulberg Town) is awaited.
Describing the reshuffle as ‘routine administrative changes’, sources in the W&S department said that such transfers and postings were aimed at improving the working of the utility.
However, independent sources in the department, said that more significant changes in the higher administrative set up were also on the card because, at present, almost the entire department was being run on ad-hocism.
Quoting some instances in this regard, the sources pointed out that most of the sub-engineers/assistant engineers were working as officiating as executive engineers in different town administrations and a number of senior officials were holding the charge of two or more sections.
The sources also referred to growing resentment among the employees and officials of the department and claimed that one of the major factors contributing to the situation was the inordinate delay in the convening of the meetings of the Departmental Promotion Committees.
WATER SHORTAGE: Different parts of the city either went dry or received scant water supply on Thursday, adding to the miseries of citizens already hit by the sultry weather.
Taking undue advantage of the persisting water shortage, private tanker operators did a roaring business besides charging exorbitant rate from the residents of water-starved localities.
The hard-hit areas included Buffer Zone’s sectors 15-A/1, 15-A/2, 16-A and 16-B; North Karachi’s sectors 5-C/1, 5-C/2, 7D/1, 7D/2, 11-C/1 and 11-C/2; Nazimabad’s block 3-C, North Nazimabad’s block N, Clifton’s block 2, Malir No. 15 and parts of PECHS block 2, Lyari, Orangi, Baldia and Shershah.
The localities which went without water on Thursday under the weekly water-holiday system included Landhi, Korangi, DHA, National Refinery, Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Railways.
CLOSURE: The localities where water supply would remain suspended on Friday include Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s blocks 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 10-A, 13-A, 13-B, 16, 17 and 18.
