ABBOTTABAD: All concerned departments have been ordered by the Abbottabad Bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to establish permanent anti-encroachment bodies in order to ensure no encroachments were made on the water drainage system.
The departments include the tehsil municipal administration, Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC), the Cantonment Board, and the National Highway Authority (NHA).
The decision was made by a two-member court made up of Justice Waqar Ahmed and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel in response to a writ suit submitted by certain locals, including attorneys.
The court additionally ordered that the respondents should also guarantee municipal cleanliness by all means and immediately dispose of rubbish from residential areas.
Furthermore, the respondents were represented by Assistant Attorney General Syed Shahid Mehboob, Sardar Ali Raza, Fida Bahadur Advocate, and Kiran Ayub Tanoli.
The petitioners, who the court identified as citizens of Abbottabad city, said that rainwater entered residential dwellings as a result of encroachments created by residents on the drainage system, resulting in a significant loss.
Additionally, the judges noted that the environment in Abbottabad city was being polluted as a result of the concerned departments’ failure to carry out their responsibilities for cleanliness and waste management.
Furthermore, they added that the respondents had been asked for comments and detailed reports regarding the removal of encroachments from water drains as well as the disposal of waste.
In their pro bono public writ petition, the petitioners, Zafar Iqbal Advocate, Anila Amir Advocate, Abid Hussain, and Mohammad Rizwan Awan noted that water flows into the Kunj nullah had been obstructed because of the indifference of several departments.
They also claimed that WSSC was required to produce a master plan following consultation with all relevant administrative divisions.
