HYDERABAD: Unattended and unaddressed complaints about inadequate water supply to consumers and uncleanliness caused by choked sewerage lines in many localities of this city were taken up with the top officials of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Hyderabad Development Authority by MPA Nasir Qureshi at a meeting chaired by Commissioner Nadeemur Rehman Memon on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro, besides HDA Director General Mohammad Sohail, Wasa Managing Director Zahid Khemtio and senior officers of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), attended the meeting.

MPA Qureshi criticised Wasa over its inefficiency and failure to entertain and address public complaints about water and sewerage issues. He told the meeting that Paretabad, Cloth Market and Qadam Gah Maula Ali localities always remained under sewage but no remedial measures were being taken. He also pointed out that a number of areas in the city had either not been receiving or getting scant drinking water. He said while Wasa remained indifferent to public complaints in this regard, MD Khemtio had been avoiding even lawmakers’ phone calls.

Admitting that Wasa’s working was affected, Mr Khemtio attributed the reason to power loadshedding and the unresolved issue of Wasa workers’ salaries. He informed the meeting that the workers had not been paid their salaries for several months.

HDA DG Mohammad Sohail assured the meeting that workers’ salaries would be disbursed soon. He added that the power loadshedding issue was also taken up with Hesco for a workable schedule.

DC Soomro spoke of a lack of coordination between the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) and Wasa, and said this was the main cause of the issues being faced by people. He said he had personally visited various parts of the city to assess the situation. He said action should be taken against inefficient and irresponsible officials.

Commissioner Memon asked the HDA and Wasa to ensure adequate supply of clean drinking water to consumers.

He directed the Wasa MD to improve sanitation and sewerage disposal in the city within a week, and said he would visit different areas of the city along with MPA Nasir Qureshi to evaluate the improvement.

14 months’ salaries unpaid: CBA

A meeting of the HDA Employees Union (CBA) was held under the chairmanship of Abdul Qayoom Bhatti which demanded payment of salaries of Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) workers.

The meeting deplored that Wasa employees had not been paid their salaries and pension for 14 months. It pointed out that the CBA union had been drawing attention of the district administration, HDA officials and lawmakers to the unpaid salaries and dues but workers were only given assurances.

The meeting recalled that after union’s efforts, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had approved a summary of Rs370m on March 7 for clearance of these liabilities. This summary was received by the finance department on March 16 but was not being approved. Since then, the union had been urging the provincial government to take notice of the inaction but in vain.

The meeting resolved that if liabilities were not cleared within the next one week, then union would devise its strategy and could go on a tool-down strike.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2022