Illegal hydrant: SHC orders action against Malir judge

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday ordered action against a sessions judge for allowing an illegal hydrant to operate in a Malir neighbourhood, ARY News reported.

Justice Salahuddin Panhwar of the high court gave this order while hearing a petition against the illegal hydrant. He observed that the judge went beyond his jurisdiction by passing such an order.

The Karachi and Water Sewerage Board (KWSB) had sealed the hydrant with help of the district administration for being illegal.

KWSB officials said the hydrant had affected water supply to the people of the area. However, its owner maintained he was not stealing water but using ground water.

The session had declared the KWSB action against the hydrant illegal and directed it to allow the hydrant to operate.

Last year in Nov, anti-corruption officials in an operation against illegal hydrants in Karachi sealed three hydrants in Karachi’s district west.

According to a spokesman of the anti-corruption department, the officials have sealed three illegal hydrants in Karachi West and detained 10 people.

A team of the department officials headed by Deputy Director District Central conducted the raids, spokesman said.

The action was taken on the directives of provincial adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab.

The government will not compromise over water despite the influence of the ‘hydrants mafia’, Wahab said.

The anti-corruption team conducted raid after getting secret information about presence of illegal hydrants in the area, the adviser said.