KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed extreme annoyance over lethargic attitude of the Sindh government in taking action against those responsible for the shortage of safe drinking water and poor sanitation conditions and directed the judicial commission to continue its inquiry into the state’s failure to provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.

Headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, a three-judge bench was seized with the petition against the provincial government’s failure to provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities across the province.

The bench also directed the district and sessions judges to submit reports on potable water and sanitation facilities in their respective districts.

The authorities concerned were also asked to submit progress reports before the judicial commission.

One of the bench members remarked that people from Karachi to Kashmore, Thatta and Badin were being made to drink unhygienic water and asked if the chief minister or any other elected representative ever had taken notice of the situation.

Justice Hani observed that there was moral deficit on part of the government as no minister had bothered to tender resignation after surfacing of such a startling report of the judicial commission. “There seems to be no sense of accountability in the government,” he added.

The chief secretary sought time to appoint qualified and competent officers on the post of agriculture secretary and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board’s managing director on a permanent basis.

The court asked the authorities to make the appointments and submit report till Thursday.

The health secretary appeared before the bench to concede that there was no proper mechanism for disposal of hospital waste.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2017