KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the provincial food authorities to file a compliance report regarding action being taken against unregistered RO plants.

When a petition against an RO plant being operated in a residential neighbourhood in North Nazimabad came up for hearing before the two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui, the Sindh Food Authority (SFA) filed a report.

It contended that the RO plant in question had been sealed on account of unhygienic condition and the production will remain suspended until the fulfilment of essential requirements ie satisfactory lab testing report of water, establishment of laboratory in the plant and improvement in hygienic condition on the premises as per standard operating procedures of SFA.

The report further maintained that action against other RO plants would be completed shortly under the order of the bench.

The director legal of SFA Zulfiqar Ali was also in attendance along with lawyer and he assured the bench that no RO plant would operate without registration or licence and such plants would be removed forthwith.

The bench directed the SFA to file a compliance report in this regard within a week. The lawyer for the owner of the RO plant in question sought time to file comments.

On the last hearing, the deputy commissioner Central through a report informed the bench that 170 RO plants were operating in the jurisdiction of district Central alone. However, only 24 drinking water selling plants were registered or had applied for registration.

The petitioner moved the SHC against the RO plant being operated in his neighbourhood in a North Nazimabad area within the premises of a residential building and sought action against it.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2020