KARACHI - Sindh Water Commission (SWC) on Monday summoned Sindh Chief Secretary (CS) with the decision of the government about the conversion of industrial plots into commercial ones, which contributed towards malfunctioning of the system of the sewerage and multiplied the scarcity of the drinking water.

Commission - headed by former judge of Supreme Court Justice Amir Hani Muslim issued these directives when it took up the application of a local construction company, filed through Khalid Jawed Khan Advocate on the order of Sindh Building control Authority (SCBA) in the light of directives of commission.

According to an order, the commission observed that the issue raised in the application is interlinked with the matter in which the chief secretary has to take the decision in regard to the action and or omission of the SITE and SBCA, which allowed industrial plots to be converted into commercial plots in Sindh. Commission noted that this issue is lingering on for the last two to three months and the government has yet to take a decision in the matter for one reason or another and observed that the industrial plots which have been converted into commercial plots by the board of the SITE has contributed significantly towards malfunctioning of the system of the sewerage and multiplied the scarcity of the drinking water.

“This ill-planned construction has far reaching effects on the life of public at large. The storm drains have been encroached throughout Sindh by allowing construction,” commission declared and observed that it is next to impossible to fix responsibility but there are exceptions where innocents under a mistake have purchased the plots and raised construction.

Commission remarked that what is more disturbing is that the entire storm drains have been converted into sewerage lines not only in Karachi but in other parts of Sindh.

The departments, who are responsible for operation of the system failed to anticipate the consequences which were to flow after allowing residential and commercial multi-storied buildings nor was any alternative infrastructure provided to mitigate such consequences.