HYDERABAD: A single-member commission constituted by the Supreme Court granted over two weeks to an irrigation officer on Saturday for the submission of a proposal for the installation of treatment plant as a short-term measure to save Phulleli canal from further contamination.

Appearing before the water commission in Karachi, executive engineer Aijaz Qureshi of the irrigation department urged Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro to grant him 15 more days to submit the proposal. He mentioned that the result of the test of samples collected at Darya Khan pumping station was awaited. He said once the findings were received, it could be decided what equipment was required for treatment of the industrial effluent and sewage being released into the canal.

The officer was directed to come up with a proposal by Justice Kalhoro during his visit to Darya Khan pumping station at Phulelli canal on April 15. The commission had been constituted by the apex court on the quality of water nearly four months ago.

Darya Khan pumping station of the Water and Sanitation Agency in Hyderabad is situated at a place where the Phulelli canal receives heavy toxic and municipal waste of the entire city. The canal emanates from Kotri barrage and supplies water to Tando Mohammad Khan and Badin districts.

Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) has been working to establish a modernised effluent treatment plant at the canal under Hyderabad Development Package (HDP), a federal government-funded initiative, since 2007. The project cost around Rs915 million and Rs500m had already been spent on it, yet it remained incomplete till date.

The prolonged delay in the execution of the scheme coupled with unabated discharge of effluent into the canal forced Justice Kalhoro to call for some early solution till the scheme is executed. He didn’t find any change at sewage disposal point when he first visited it in January after the formation of the water commission.

Visibly concerned about continuous contamination of Phulelli canal, Justice Kalhoro during his visit to the area on April 15 said he wanted some early solution to it. During his conversation with water technologist Dr Ahsan Siddiqui, executive engineer Aijaz Qureshi said that surface aerators plant could be set up at the pumping station to treat toxic effluent before it is released into the canal.

However, Dr Siddiqui along with water technologist and a member of the task force formed by the apex court to assist the commission, Dr Ghulam Murtaza — an officer of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources — disagreed with Mr Qureshi.

But Justice Kalhoro wanted Mr Qureshi to submit his proposal as short-term measure to check disposal of toxic effluent and further contamination of the canal.

On Saturday, Mr Qureshi appeared before the commission in Karachi and sought further time to submit his proposal. He said frozen and natural samples of effluent collected before their disposal into canal were collected and handed over to the PCRWR for analysis. After getting its report, he would be in a position to propose the installation of required equipment for the treatment of effluent.

The commission, granting his request, allowed him to file his report by May 6.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad sessions judge submitted a report in line with the April 15 directive of the commission about his visit to the various filter plants in Hyderabad.

The sessions judge informed Justice Kalhoro that the condition of the filter plants in Latifabad, Paretabad, Hala Naka was pathetic, as no filtration was witnessed at the plants while the facilities were without boundary wall.

Justice Kalhoro directed Hyderabad commissioner and Wasa’s managing director to immediately take measures to rehabilitate water filtration plants to resume filtration process.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2017