HYDERABAD: The judicial commission on water quality in Sindh was on Saturday informed that the water being supplied to federal government hospitals in the province contained coliform bacteria beyond the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

An analysis report was submitted to the one-man commission, headed by Justice Mohammed Iqbal Kalhoro, by Dr Ghulam Murtaza, a member of the task force formed by the Supreme Court.

The report was brought on record by the commission, which held its proceedings in Karachi on Saturday. Dr Murtaza suggested that bacteria could be controlled by changing cartridge filters and ensuring regular chlorination of water storage tanks.

The commission provided a copy of the report to Deputy Attorney General Asim Mansoor with directives to ensure that the suggestions were followed in letter and spirit. It also asked administrators of the federal government-run hospitals to ensure provision of clean drinking water to people.

The commission ordered that water quality be analysed by third party and such reports be submitted in the commission regularly.

Dr Murtaza said that unhygienic conditions prevailed in the Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (KIRAN). He had collected 16 samples from KIRAN and two other hospitals — Nuclear Institute of Medicine and Radiotherapy (NIMRA) and Atomic Energy Medical Centre (AEMC) of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) — and stated that the analysis of these samples showed that six (38 per cent) of them were unfit for human consumption. Varying ranges of coliform bacteria (24cfu-70cfu) were found in the samples, he stated.

Pollutants

Dr Saeed Ahmed Qureshi, the focal person of the Sindh chief secretary, submitted his report regarding implementation of a master plan prepared by the task force to plug the points from where waste water was drained into freshwater bodies. A copy of the report is to be provided to petitioner advocate Shahab Usto.

The commission expressed the hope that the stakeholders supposed to implement the master plan would actively coordinate with the task force chairman, Jamal Mustafa Syed.

SITE treatment plant

The task force chairman and the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) managing director informed the commission that the Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) had been made fully functional and the industrial waste was being tested at a laboratory before its release into the Kalri Baghar Feeder (KB Feeder). The commission asked Dr Murtaza to visit the plant and submit a report about an analysis of the treated effluent.

The commission was informed that the effluent treatment plant in Shaheed Benazirabad district had not been made functional yet although the public health engineer department (PHED) secretary had made a statement about it.

Justice Kalhoro observed that the department was continuously making misstatements regarding improvement in quality of water and treatment of effluent while it had not achieved any tangible progress on both counts. It directed the PHED secretary to come prepared on the next date of hearing to reply to the commission’s queries about his department’s failure. Dr Murtaza was directed to visit the plant and submit his recommendations.

Golarchi filter plant

About a dispute with regard to the Golarchi filter plant, the commission directed the Badin deputy commissioner to submit a comprehensive report showing the receipt and spending of federal funds. The DC was directed to personally appear in the commission. The local government (LG) secretary informed the commission that the filter plant was not functional. A representative of a private company stated that the firm had completed the plant but the PHED did not take its administrative control and, therefore, its machinery got rusty and now needed an overhaul.

The commission asked the PHED, local government and the company to sit together and sort out the issue within a month and then the two departments submit a report about functioning of the plant.

Karachi hydrants

The commission issued a notice for October 7 to the advocate general to explain why the proposed law to regulate water hydrants in Karachi was not tabled in the Sindh Assembly despite specific directives issued by the commission. It also directed the AG to ensure approval of a law about installation of treatment plants at industries. The industries secretary informed the commission that progress on five CETPs in Karachi had stopped because of financial constraints as the expenditure was to be shared by the federal government.

In view of a controversy over supply of electricity to water supply and sewerage installations, the commission directed the PHED secretary to nominate an officer to settle issues with the Hyderabad and Sukkur power utilities.

Incinerators

The health secretary submitted to the commission that incinerators were installed at the Ghulam Mohammed Mahar Medical College Hospital, Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, JPMC and Civil Hospital Karachi. An order for 17 new incinerators had been placed, he claimed, adding that he was personally monitoring quality of water being provided to people at government hospitals but conceded that no third party evaluation of water analysis was done.

The commission directed him to get drinking water samples tested from a third party once in a month and submit a report in the commission. It directed medical superintendents of government hospitals in Sindh to maintain water quality by getting water analysed once in a month and ensure hygienic conditions.

Wasa installations

Hyderabad Water and Sanitation Agency managing director Masood Jumani briefed the commission about its filtration plant saying that it was now fully functional. He said that the industrial effluent at Darya Khan pumping station was being chemically processed before its release into the Akram Wah (irrigation channel). Dr Ghulam Murtaza was directed to visit the plant and the pumping station.

Water quality at educational institutions

The judge directed the education secretary to appear in person before him to brief the commission about quality of drinking water and sanitary conditions at schools and colleges across Sindh which, according to reports, were very poor.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2017