KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the additional deputy commissioners of Malir and Korangi to file comments till April 8 after it was informed that cultivation of vegetables through sewage still continued in both districts.

The two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar also asked the administration of the two districts to submit an action plan for implementation in future to curb such cultivation in their territorial limits.

When two petitions filed against cultivation of vegetables through sewage and industrial waste in Korangi, Malir, Landhi and others areas of the city came up for hearing, the additional deputy commissioners along with other officials of both districts turned up.

They contended that there was no cultivation of vegetables through sewage in their territorial jurisdictions as they have removed all such crops.

They maintained that whenever such cultivation started they took appropriate action and will continue this drive in future as well.

However, a lawyer for one of the petitioners has filed objections along with photographs taken on March 17 to show that cultivation of vegetables through sewage was still being carried out.

The bench directed both ADCs to file comments on the objections and pictures submitted by the lawyer for petitioner on next hearing and also produce an action plan for prevention of such cultivation in future in their areas.

In the past, the bench had also issued several directives to the administration of both districts to immediately stop the cultivation and devise a proper mechanism to ensure that vegetables will not be grown in future in such manner.

The petitions were filed last year in the SHC and they contended that vegetables were being grown through sewage and industrial waste in Korangi, Malir, Landhi and others areas located in the outskirts of the city and these vegetables were not fit for human consumption.

The petitioners further argued that government land was being used/encroached upon for cultivation of vegetables grown in an unhealthy fashion.

Orphanages law

The SHC on Thursday directed the secretary social welfare department to apprise it on April 14 about the efforts being taken to implement the orphanages law.

One of the petitioners, who is part of the orphanage board, submitted that the last meeting of the board was convened in January last year and no efforts have been made about registration as the orphanages were operating without being listed under the law.

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar took up a petition seeking proper compliances under the Sindh Orphanages (Supervision and Control) Act, 1976 and Sindh Darul Atfal (Supervision and Control) Rules 1987 for hearing, the director general Sindh Child Protection Authority Dr Azeem-ur-Rehman filed reply.

The deputy director social welfare department Tahir Mehmood also turned up and sought time to file reply. The bench directed him to submit comments on next hearing.

However, the secretary social welfare department was found absent and the bench observed that he should be in attendance without any excuse at next hearing.

It also directed the secretary to apprise it as to what action is being taken under the provision of Sindh Orphanages Act, 1976 as according to a petitioner the last meeting of orphanage board was held around 14 months ago and no effort has been made thereafter for ensuring registration of orphanages which are operating without registration under the act.

The bench further asked that secretary will also produce the copy of minutes of the last meeting of the board as well as a separate list regarding registration of orphanages in the province.

Custody of seized lions

A provincial law officer on Thursday requested the same bench to grant time to file reply after it was informed that a wildlife sanctuary was to be established by the provincial government under the law but the same has not been done so far.

When a matter came up for hearing about the custody and auction of lions seized from a farmhouse in Gulshan-i-Hadeed in August, the bench was informed that after taking over the custody of the lions, the wildlife department had issued a notification for the auction, but it was stayed by the SHC in September last year.

The lawyer for Society for Protection of Animals, who petitioned the SHC, argued that the lions were smuggled whereas the counsel for intervener, who is the owner of the animals, contended that these lions were purchased from Punjab and produced some documents.

The intervener sought the custody of remaining lions as he said that two of the animals died during captivity.

An assistant conservator submitted that the health condition of both lions was not good and despite proper treatment they could not survive.

While referring to the Sindh Wildlife Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management Act 2020, the lawyer for petitioner argued that wildlife sanctuary was to be established by the Sindh government in terms of Section 13 which has not been done so far.

An assistant advocate general requested for time to seek instructions from provincial government as well as chief conservator wildlife.

The hearing was adjourned till April 1.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2021