About 18,000 schools in Sindh have almost no access to potable drinking water, in a province where a huge percentage of the population is compelled to consume untreated water. The main reason of this is lack of laboratories and trained staff, Advocate Shahab Usto told a seminar on "Water Issues in Sindh: Findings of Water Commission." The event was sponsored by Shehri-CBE on Friday. In response to Usto's petition, a commission was set up by the Sindh government to find reasons for the contaminated water supply. It presented two reports on the issue. During commission hearings, 14 orders were passed to improve water quality, of which but none was acted upon by the Sindh government, he said.
Jamshoro tops the bad water list, with 97 percent of supplied water was found to be contaminated. The city of Hyderabad follows closely, with 93 percent of the supplied water contaminated. Next come Karachi and Tando Allah Yar, with 91 percent. Larkana's figure is 88 percent, Shikarpur 87 percent, Sukkur 83 percent and Tharparkar 64 percent, he said. The commission reports say: The multibillion RO plants failed to ensure an adequate quality of water to supply wherever they are installed in the province. These RO plants are installed by a private company approved by the Sindh government.
There is no integrated water supply system in Karachi for its population of 16.6 million. The city's 500 mgd water spills into the sea every day, posing a threat to the marine life, including fish and shrimp, and particularly to its mangroves. The KMC's three effluent plants are long dysfunctional, causing a permanent threat to the seacoast.
Hyderabad's population of three million is forced to consume 87 percent "highly contaminated" water with no treatment plants operational. All of the toxic industrial waste is discharged into the Indus River, rendering 83 percent of water unworthy for Sukkur's one million population. Jacobabad's 170,000 population is faced with deplorable sanitation crisis.
The Sindh government set up a treatment plant for the city at a cost of Rs 1.5 billion but is not working. Toxic water plagues the public with waterborne diseases in Kotri. "Multibillions project in Tharparkar, only five out 60 RO plants are properly working to provide water to the public in Mithi." Asia's largest solar RO plant is also unable to supply potable water to the town. The government's departments cannot deliver the service for lack of autonomy, political interference, and technical and financial bankruptcy, engineer Farhan Anwar said.
The commission's reports further recommend accountability of the departments' staff to ensure smooth dispensation of services. An initiative from the citizens resulted in the setting up of a commission of inquiry by the chief justice of the Sindh High Court, which was notified on December 29, 2016. A judge, Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, was appointed to report its findings. The commission submitted its first report on February 25, but regular hearings and reports in the media show that there is little progress.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.