SUKKUR: Retired Justice Amir Hani Muslim, head of one-man Supreme Court-appointed commission on water quality and drainage in Sindh, reprimanded Sukkur mayor and executive engineer of buildings department on Sunday over disposal of sewage into Pir Murad Shah graveyard and unabated practice of occupation of its land.

He said that he had taken notice of the graveyard’s inundation with sewage and lack of boundary wall during his last visit also but nothing had been done to comply with his directives so far.

“If you (Sukkur mayor Arsalan Islam Shaikh and XEN Lutfullah Phulpoto) cannot discharge your official duties then vacate your seats immediately. Otherwise, stern action will be taken against you and cases will also be registered,” he warned.

He inspected ongoing work on drainage schemes and water supply scheme in Qureshi Goth directed the mayor and the officers concerned to complete the schemes on time.

The mayor complained about undue delay by Sukkur Electric Power Company in issuing separate power supply line for the water supply scheme and the judge issued directives to Sepco CEO to install electricity line within a week.

He summoned secretary of environment to his office directing him to submit a report to the commission and issued directives to all officers of the departments of public health, municipal committee and buildings to immediately resolve the city’s civic issues, otherwise, action would be taken against negligent officials.

He directed the deputy commissioner of Sukkur to oversee ongoing work on all development schemes in Sukkur.

Meanwhile, officials of district and municipal administration were so scared before the judge’s visit that they rushed to drain out stagnant sewage from the graveyard with the help of fire tenders but their luck ran out when the judge caught them red-handed.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2018