BADIN: Retired Justice Amir Hani Muslim, who heads the one-man commission formed by the Supreme Court to look into the causes leading to contamination of drinking and irrigation water in Sindh, visited various waterworks in Badin district on Tuesday and expressed his anger and indignation over the poor performance of the officials concerned. He admonished officials of the Badin municipality for failing to prevent contamination of the water meant for the consumption of citizens.

Justice Muslim visited different reservoirs and installations in Badin city and on its outskirts being managed by the municipality under the city’s water supply scheme. He received briefing in this regard from some councillors.

During his visit to Qazia Wah (canal), people of the surrounding areas complained to him that highly contaminated water was being supplied to them through the municipality’s network. The judge assured them that the commission would take appropriate actions to set things right so that safe drinking water was supplied to all citizens in Sindh. Justice Muslim rebuked the municipal committee’s CMO, Iqti­dar Hussain Khowaja, over the mess leading to contamination and asked him to address the relevant issues being faced by the population.

Mr Khowaja was told to ensure that no sewage or garbage was accumulated close to the dykes of the canal or disposed of into it. Justice Muslim found dumps of garbage at several places along the dykes and ordered the CMO to make suitable arrangements for removal of all such effluent within a week.

The people present there made numerous complaints against officers of the municipal committee regard neglect of the water supply and sewerage system in Badin. They said the officers were paying no heed to their complaint due to the absence of the (committee) chairman, whose election-related case was pending adjudication.

Justice Muslim told CMO Khow­aja to appear before him in Karachi along with all relevant records on Feb 16.

On a request by Advocate Shahab Usto, on whose petition the SC had formed the judicial commission, Justice Muslim directed Badin District and Sessions Judge Javed Ahmed to depute his subordinate staff to supervise an operation against polluters of the irrigation channels in the district and also look into the factors leading to closure of certain reverse osmosis (RO) plants.

Earlier, Justice Muslim visited waterworks in Matli where he also expressed his displeasure over the conditions prevailing at and around the installations as well as encroachments of the dykes of Phulleli canal.

The judge found unhygienic conditions close to a sugar mill near Matli town where effluent from its plant was being dumped in a drain.

An unbearable stench had engulfed the atmosphere in the entire locality.

Justice Muslim found similar conditions near another sugar mill during his visit to Talhar and issued necessary directives to the town committee.

He told them to arrange for supply of safe water from a new pond which was yet to be inducted.

According to Mr Usto, the judge found a water supply scheme in Golarchi town closed though it was made functional during the commission’s previous visit.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2018