HYDERABAD, Jan 28: The convener of the district council’s committee on the Hyderabad Development Authority and Wasa, Ali Nawaz Kutrio, has said that water supply and sewerage systems of Hyderabad, Latifabad and Qasimabad Talukas had completely collapsed.

He proposed to the district council members to request the Sindh government to restore the subsidy of the HDA and Wasa in the larger interest of the people of Hyderabad to enable both the civic agencies to make the water supply and sewerage system effective and to pay their employees their salaries on time.

These recommendations were made in the committee’s report, which were presented before the district council session here on Tuesday.

The managing director of Wasa, Mohammad Tahir, presented his side of the story in response to the report.

The session is scheduled to begin debate on the report on Wednesday.

Convener Nawab Rashid Ali Khan in view of the significance of the matter took up the last item of the committee’s report.

He directed the council officer, Haji Abdul Wahid, that in future the resolutions should be decided while keeping in view their importance.

Mr Kutrio said that the entire sewerage and water supply system of the three Talukas of the city had completely collapsed because the water supply was not being supplied as per requirement and no time had been fixed for supplying it to the residents.

He claimed that the people had to wake up late in the night to get water.

He said that the water supplied to the people was contaminated because the supply lines were broken as a result of which filth got mixed up with the drinking water.

He claimed that since filtered water was not being supplied from the Kotri Barrage, the residents of Latifabad and Phuleli were getting contaminated water in the wake of disposal of drainage water in canals.

He said that Latifabad Taluka was being supplied water from the pond where the buffaloes of influential people swam.

He said that the tanks near the Lined Channel had not been clean for as long as one can remember and these tanks had no boundary walls as a result of which dogs and buffaloes entered it making it unsafe for drinking.

He stated that while Wasa issued bills for supplying filtered water, the areas of three Talukas got filthy water, which resulted in the death of several children.

The people had installed suction pumps because the Wasa could not ensure the water supply for the people, forcing them to bear additional expenses in the shape of consumption of electricity for running the pumps.

He said that the district Nazim and the DCO had also accompanied him during his visits to various areas but in vain.

Being convener of the committee, Mr Kutrio pointed out that he was disappointed to see the dismal performance of civic bodies’ officials who did not take any interest in solving these issues.

He claimed that these bodies also did not have any funds and the people did not pay their utility bills regularly notwithstanding the fact that the Sindh government had withdrawn subsidy in 1991.

WASA: Presenting his side of the story, Wasa MD Mohammad Tahir told the members that a crash programme was needed for improving the quantity and quality of the water supply and for improving the sewerage system of the city.

He said that if it was not done, then the people of Hyderabad would be facing a situation as worse as those of Karachi.

He said that two filter plants were needed, one at Hala Naka and another at Paretabad.

He claimed that since 1977 Wasa had been in deficit.

He stated that the construction of multi-storey buildings had also aggravated the sewerage system and the Hyderabad Cantonment Board (HCB) did not obtain NOCs from Wasa and HDA for high-rise buildings in their areas, adding to the miseries of the people.

He said that Wasa had to pay surcharge of Rs2 million to Hesco.