The Supreme Court mandated Water Commission here on Friday stayed the construction on plots in Hyderabad which have been converted from residential to commercial purpose while forming an inquiry committee to probe the matter.
HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Nov, 2018 ) :The Supreme Court mandated Water Commission here on Friday stayed the construction on plots in Hyderabad which have been converted from residential to commercial purpose while forming an inquiry committee to probe the matter.
The Commission's Chairman Justice (R) Amir Hani Muslim heard the complainants and officials of different government departments at the Judges Lodges.
"The construction of the nature has destroyed the fabric of Hyderabad city," the commission observed in its order. "It has multiplied the issues of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) relating to drainage and providing clean drinking water to the public," it added.
Justice (R) Muslim noted that the required infrastructure for the locality where a residential plot had been converted to commercial was never provided either before or after the stage of approval by the concerned authorities. "The mushroom growth has no symmetry, which has destroyed beautification of the city," he noted.
The Commission stated that it was trying to minimize agony of the public on the issues of water supply, drainage and cleanliness.
"In order to give a fair opportunity to all the parties, the Commission concluded that Secretary Local Government and Commissioner Hyderabad will hold inquiry," the Commission ordered.
The committee would hear the complainants, the builders and officials of the relevant government departments before concluding its report in four weeks for submission to the commission.
Justice (R) Muslim directed all the relevant government departments to provide documentary evidence and information to the committee.
"Meantime, no permission of the conversion would be granted by any authority nor the construction would be allowed to continue on the basis of the permission granted earlier," the order underlined, adding that if a building project had been completed, it should not be allowed to be occupied by the residents until completion certificate was issued by the authority.
The commission noted with concern that 1,300 daily wages employees were working in the WASA, which is a subsidiary of Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA).
"The Managing Director WASA, Agha Abdul Raheem, stated that despite repeated notices these employees are not reporting for duties," it was noted.
Justice (R) Muslim directed Additional MD WASA Saleemuddin Arain to submit a list of all employees working on daily wages in WASA along with their job description on November 10. Both the MD and Additional MD of WASA were also directed to provide a justification for employing 1,300 daily wage staff.
During the hearing it was discussed that the strength of the daily wage staff could be halved. "Whenever I visit the sites I do not find the staff who are on the daily wages," the MD Raheem told the Commission, acknowledging that the staff was a burden on the agency's finances.
The MD apprised the commission that the agency did not have the workforce of sweepers and whenever their services were required the agency hired them through a private contractor against high service charges.
He recommended that WASA should be allowed to hire between 100 to 200 sweepers.
The Commission warned the additional MD that he would held responsible if any complaint pertaining to water supply and sewerage was received by the Commission.
"In future the Commission will hold him (Additional MD) responsible for the infirmities or shortcomings of WASA," the order read.
The officials of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) briefed justice (R) Muslim about their schemes in Jamshoro and Kotri in Jamshoro district.
The officials were directed to immediately address the problems pertaining to water supply and drainage in those schemes.
The Commission put on notice to Chairman Qasimabad Municipal Committee Kashif Shoro and the Chief Municipal Officer to appear before it on November 10.
The Commissioner Hyderabad Ghulam Abbass Baloch, Director General Sindh Building Control Authority Iftikhar Ali Qaimkhani, Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Syed Aijaz Ali Shah, Mayor of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) Syed Tayyab Hussain and officials of other government departments attended the hearing.
