KARACHI, Dec 5: The Administrator of the Defence Housing Authority, Brig Maqsood Hussain, has linked water shortage in the DHA to a shortfall of two million gallons daily from the KWSB, saying that with the start of a 3-mgd desalination plan in November next year, water problem of the authority would be resolved considerably.

He was speaking to a delegation of the Defence Residents Society (DRS) that held a formal meeting with him and other senior officials of the DHA/Clifton Cantt Board at the DHA’s main office on Monday. The delegation raised the persistent problem of acute shortage of water in the DHA.

The DRS delegation was headed by its President Zafar Iqbal. One among its other members included Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Brig Maqsood said the DHA was getting 6 mgd water against its stipulated requirement of 8 mgd from the KWSB.

The administrator DHA, however, assured the DRS delegation that the requisite work on each phase of the DHA Cogen Power and Desalination Plant was on unhindered and as per the stipulated schedule.

Brig Maqsood, who is also President of the Clifton Cantonment Executive Board, agreed with the DRS delegation’s assertion that there was a number of missing manholes in some localities of the DHA.

He said some 5,000 new manhole covers had been replaced by the CCB in the last two years, but they were stolen, adding that the CCB had now been asked to replace 2,000 missing manholes on an urgent basis, and to devise some innovative measures to ensure that thefts of manholes did not recur.

The administrator took note of the persisting poor cleanliness and hygienic conditions in some areas of the DHA, and said that while the CCB had been asked to initiate a vigorous cleanliness drive, the sensitive problem should also be seen in the correct social context.

The meeting decided that the DRS would hold a seminar on solid waste management system in collaboration with the EU in the first week of January 2006.

The administrator DHA also informed the meeting that the survey of dilapidated high-rise buildings in the DHA in the wake of the recent earthquake had been done by a specialized body. He said appropriate action would be taken by the DHA on the recommendations of the survey board.

He also intimated that a colour scheme for various phases of the DHA had been approved and the CCB would ensure that billboards installed in various phase of the authority adopted the same.

He also considered various measures being undertaken by the DHA Vigilance Team in coordination with the civil police to augment and improve the security situation in the DHA.—PPI