KARACHI: On Tuesday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) voiced its displeasure with Defence Housing Authority (DHA) officials for failing to call meetings of technical experts and interested parties to address the drainage problem in spite of its repeated orders.
A two-judge bench led by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi was hearing two petitions filed against the drainage system that caused flooding in DHA and Cantonment Board Clifton districts in 2020.
The court ordered the DHA and petitioners to hold meetings and complete this exercise within 30 days, with minutes of the sessions to be filed in court by December 6.
A presentation of the project’s activities by DHA was also required to be discussed with the petitioners, ordered the SHC.
It further stated that the petitioners should be given time to present their recommendations/findings to DHA officials and consultants.
On September 14, the SHC called a meeting of all stakeholders, after the NED University of Engineering and Technology stated in its report on the evaluation of drainage infrastructure in DHA that the existing design might be insufficient if the stormwater drainage system also accommodated sewerage flow.
It is worth mentioning that initially, some 60 residents petitioned the SHC, asking for the creation of a committee to oversee sanitation initiatives and carry out a forensic investigation of the CBC and DHA finances, followed by another similar petition recently.
