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KARACHI, June 7: The Sindh Minister for Local Government, Mohammed Hussain, said that a provincial level policy to improve the water supply and drainage system was in the final stages and would be presented before the Cabinet soon while a steering committee in this regard had already been formed.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day workshop in connection with the solid waste and sanitation policy held under the water and sanitation programme of monitoring and evaluation cell of the local government department and the World Bank.The minister said that despite spending billions of rupees in the past by international organisations at the federal and provincial levels, no significant change could be brought in the drainage system. He deplored the non-existence of any proper strategy for waste disposal at the towns and taluka levels.
The steering committee, he pointed out, would carry out effective monitoring of the ongoing schemes in this sector and also ensure their timely execution without compromising on the quality.
He said as compared to Karachi, the situation was much worse in other districts of the province.
Speaking on the occasion, Farhan Sami of the World Bank's water and sanitation programme assured all-out support to the Sindh government.
The director of the monitoring and evaluation cell, Sikandar Panhwar, briefed the participants of the workshop about the points included in the draft policy regarding solid waste management.
CS VISIT: Sindh Chief Secretary Shakil Durrani paid a surprise visit to Central Prison Karachi on Thursday.
He inspected various wards and the prison’s kitchen to check the quality of food being prepared for the inmates.
During the visit, the chief secretary asked the convicts and under-trial prisoners about their problems as well as welfare of inmates at the children jail and women wards.
He ordered immediate shifting of a female inmate suffering from blood pressure to a hospital. The jail administration also requested the chief secretary to appoint a doctor.
Mr Durrani sought detailed reports from superintendents of male and female prisons about the inmates, their crimes, convictions, fines and other details.
He directed the health secretary to take steps for providing medical facilities to female prisoners, belonging to Zambia, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria and other countries, involved in drug trafficking.
The chief secretary stressed the need for arranging regular visits of health experts to jail. He also visited industrial unit, Quran and computer education centre and sought details from IG Prisons about the facilities and incentives being provided to the prisoners.
Later, Mr Durrani visited Karachi Zoo. DCO Karachi Javed Hanif and other officials were also present on the occasion.
The visiting children drew the chief secretary’s attention towards the empty cages and deplored the absence of lion, leopard, rhinos, zebra, elephant and hippopotamus
The chief secretary asked the zoo management to chalk-out a plan for the improvement of the zoo. He said that services of Sri Lankan experts be sought in this regard and suggested introduction of a mini-train for children in the zoo like the one in Safari park.
In this regard a meeting of director parks, chief conservator wildlife and other officials was summoned next week.—APP
