KARACHI - The Coordination Committee on Federal Projects in Sindh has proposed to allow Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) as a policy formulation organization, while for operational purposes there would be separate autonomous bodies on district/divisional level, including Karachi.

A similar arrangement was also proposed for Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). This emerged in the meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House, according to a CM House communique on Saturday. 

The meeting was attended by two federal ministers Asad Umar and Aminul Haq, provincial ministers Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, corps commander Karachi Lt General Humayun Aziz, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairman P&D M Waseem, GOC Karachi Major General M Aqeel, PSCM Sajid jamal Abro, Administrator Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Commissioner Karachi Sohail Rajput, Secretary Transport Sharif Ahmed, Secretary LG Najam Shah, MD Water Board Asadullah Khan, MD SSWMA Zubair Channa and others.

The coordination committee while discussing cleanliness of the nullas concluded that they would remain choked until and unless an efficient system of garbage lifting was evolved in the city. It was pointed out that improper lifting of garbage from roads, stuffing the garbage into nullas and in the end choked them which resulted in urban floods during heavy rains.

Keeping in view different these factors, the meeting proposed to the provincial government to allow SSWMB function as a policy making organization, while all the divisional headquarters might have separate and autonomous bodies responsible for lifting sweeping, door to door collection, transportation of garbage to garbage transfer stations and then to the landfill sites. 

In this proposed arrangement Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad would have separate Solid Waste Management bodies for keeping the cities neat and clean.

The meeting was told that there were 422 dangerous buildings in the city but the buildings which collapsed during the last few months were illegally constructed. The stoppage of illegal construction or buildings was necessary to keep the lives and property of the people safe and secure. Therefore, the meeting proposed to the provincial government to allow the Sindh Building Control Authority to serve as a policy making organisation, while Karachi, Hyderabad and divisions might have separate autonomous bodies for building control. 

It was also pointed out that every new constructing building should have a specific life span and in case of its collapse before completion of its life, the builder should be held responsible.

The CM said that the provincial government would consider the proposal of the coordination committee favourably. The committee discussed the matter of removal of encroachment on the embankments of major nullas. When the issue of the width of nullas and the size of embankment also came under discussion, the meeting proposed to appoint a consultant to design the nulla as per master plan and submit a report so that encroachments could be removed. 

Meanwhile, the meeting decided to work out a detailed plan for rehabilitation of the people living along the nullas.  

The meeting was told that K-IV project PC-I was being changed/modified because its construction cost had increased considerably. The Chairman P&D said that the revised PC-I was being prepared in coordination with KWSB and the ministry of water.

It was also pointed that Chairman WAPDA along with his team would visit the K-IV site on November 5, 2020 for further action. The completion of the K-IV project has been asked from the federal government while augmentation works would be carried out by the provincial government.

The Advocate General Sindh was directed to get stay orders lifted so that impediments in the completion of K-IV project could be removed for completion of project.

The meeting was told that the local government was working to check the capacity of scheme. Additional water supply from ‘Haleji’ could be enhanced from 65 MGD to 130 MGD. M/S NESPAK was conducting a study regarding the availability of water which was being expedited, said Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem. 

The CM directed the local government department/water board to take immediate remedial actions with regard to improving the existing water supply mechanism and curbing the menace of valve man and illegal connections/hydrants. The local government minister Nasir Shah said that work on curbing the menace of valve man to improve the existing water supply system was in progress.  

The meeting also agreed to enhance the capacity of Thado Dam to secure water losses and to avert flash floods during heavy rains. The chief minister directed the local government department to appoint consultants for rehabilitation of Thadho Dam for enhancing its capacity. The KCR also came under discussion and the meeting decided that the railway authorities would submit their proposal in the next meeting for further consideration.