JHANG: Recent rains in Jhang have fully exposed the inefficiency and incapability of the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) to deal with such eventualities.

The city and its surrounding areas received above average rainfall during this month, but the downpour that lashed the city on Sunday particularly left almost half of the areas inundated.

Residents of the totally submerged Basti Attawali and New Eidgah Road appealed to the chief minister, chief secretary and the local government and community development secretary to take notice of the affairs of TMA.

They claimed some officials were not following directions of the TMA administrator regarding resolution of their grievances.

Locals approached Additional District Collector (ADC) Babar Rehman, also holding the position of TMA administrator, and informed him about the main sewerage system of the new Eidgah Road that had been chocked for several months and that the chief officer (CO) and his team did not bother checking it despite repeated complaints.

Resultantly, sewage from the main line started to trickle backwards towards streets of Basti Attawali.

The main street of Attawali linked with New Eidgah and Madoki roads was blocked due to blockage of the drain there with sewage that had also started entering houses.

A resident alleged the CO and his team demanded Rs2,000 to Rs5,000 for machinery to resolve the issue.

ADC Rehman took notice and directed CO Mukhtar Shah to visit the troubled locality and resolve the issue.

The CO without visiting the area reported to the administrator that everything was fine.

CO Shah told Dawn he sent his sanitation staff to clear the main sewerage line and linked drains, and was reported that the job had been done. He claimed he never demanded money from the residents for utilising the TMA’s machinery.

About the fake compliance report and demand of bribe by the CO and his staff, ADC Rehman told Dawn if the TMA staff was found guilty they would face the music.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play