Sindh High Court (SHC) Thursday sought a policy on garbage dumping from the provincial government and ordered it to explain to the court as to where the trash is being disposed of.
The court also sought the policy about the dumping of hospital waste from the concerned authorities when a division bench of SHC comprising Justice Faisal Kamal Alam and Justice Kausar Sultana heard the petition of residents of Jam Chakro Goth Malir, the landfill site for the garbage lifted from the metropolis.
The residents of the area submitted that landfill site in Jam Chakro spanned over 500 acres. They said that dumping of garbage in this area has resulted in spread of stench and diseases.
They requested the court to shift the landfill site from Jam Chakro to some other place.
Representing District Municipal Corporation (DMC), Malir, Advocate Shaukat Sheikh told the court that it is beyond the jurisdiction of a DMC to dump the garbage at its own designated place.
Court in its observations inquired as how the localities can be saved by burning the garbage and directed all the relevant department to fulfill their responsibilities viz-a-viz cleanliness and hygiene in the city.
Court directed Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) to furnish the reply in the court regarding the lifting and dumping of garbage.
Bench also ordered Sindh Government, Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) and relevant department to file their comments in the petition.
Meanwhile, a division bench sought reports from federal government, Sindh Government and Police Department over the death of six persons including children at Qasr-e-Naz State Guest House some time back.
Petitioner moved the court to issue orders for action against those officials of guest house, whose negligence resulted in the death of these persons and submitted that the responsible staff of the guest house was restored on their services rather than punishing them.
Petitioner sought the action against fourteen employees of PWD and requested the court to terminate their services as their alleged negligence caused the death of these persons.
Another bench of SHC declared the sentence handed over to two accuse by trial court for possessing illegal weapons void after police and prosecution failed to produce the evidences against them.
Hearing the appeal against the five-year sentence awarded by a trial court to Mohammad Ali and Shahid, the court accepted their plea for being innocent. Police arrested the duo in 2015 allegedly for possessing explosive material from Rizvia Society.