HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday ordered Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) to take action against all illegal car wash service stations in the city and submit to the court details of the stations licensed by the agency.

A division bench comprising Justices Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Amjad Ali Sahito passed the order while hearing a public interest petition filed by Sajjad Ahmed Chandio advocate.

The judges asked managing director of Wasa to suggest how the service stations which were issued licenses by the agency could recycle the water used by them considering the fact that they were getting the scarce commodity when people were deprived of drinking water.

When the judges expressed displeasure over accumulation of rainwater in different parts of Latifabad, Qasimabad and City following July 29 rain, the petitioner said that the situation had not improved much.

Referring to service stations, he informed the court that a parallel system was working for generating income for Wasa.

This income was not being spent in the agency and the facts needed to be provided to the court about the issue, he said.

Wasa MD Saleemuddin infor­m­ed the court that in next two to three months new lines would be laid in Qasimabad and Latifabad which would improve sewerage system and drainage of rain-water.

He said that after the completion of work on new sewage lines rainwater would hopefully be disposed of as soon as possible.

The pumping machines available with the agency were working in rain-affected areas, he said.

He said that machines were ready to meet rain emergency in case of much anticipated rainfall likely to start on Aug 9 (today).

Sindh local government department’s deputy director Shaha­buddin told the court that there were around 60 service stations in the city which were licensed by Wasa. The bench directed Wasa MD to submit a detailed report on the number of licensed service stations and ordered action against all the illegal ones.

Justice Kalhoro, who had earlier headed Supreme Court-mandated commission on water supply and drainage in Sindh, also asked the MD to ensure that meters were installed at service stations to determine the amount of water they consumed and what tariff was applied to them.

The court also directed Wasa to get a survey conducted regarding commercial connections provided to hotels and restaurants by Wasa.

The judges observed that it had been brought to the court’s notice that it had banned use of plastic bags but the order was not being implemented and directed Hyder­abad deputy commissioner to explain to the court on Aug 20 at 11am why the order had not been implemented.

The court also ordered Qasim­abad municipal committee chairman Kashif Shoro, chief municipal officer, and other officers concerned to appear in person in court on next date of hearing and adjourned the matter till Aug 20.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2019