Shehla Raza demands justice from CDGK, KWSB

Karachi

After completing her 100 days in office, Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly, Shehla Raza is set to return with full force to claim the compensation for the unfortunate death of her two children, Aks-e-Batool and Arsalan on November 7, 2005. The case was filed against City District Government Karachi (CDGK), Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the contractor responsible for the carpeting of the Abul Hasan Ispahani Road (where the accident occurred) at the time.

“I had long been waiting for this day and now that the people’s government is in power, I will pursue the case,” said Raza while talking to The News. Although the monetary compensation cannot bring back the emotional injustice that has been done, she is determined to teach the concerned authorities a lesson. These authorities continue to play with the lives of common citizens with their blatant negligence.

As a compensation for her children’s death, Raza and her husband, Ghulam Qadir have claimed Rs12.4 million for their daughter and Rs12.2 million for their son through Advocate, Nasir Maqsood of the Sindh High Court (SHC). The case was filed in 2006 and was earlier being pursued in the Malir Court but was later transferred to SHC. “We will now follow up on the case when the courts resume work on August 4 after their summer vacation,” said Raza. She said the covering of open drains especially on main thoroughfares of the city that pose a danger to motorists on a daily basis, is the responsibility of CDGK and KWSB who have long been negligent of the issue instead of taking safety measures.

Moreover, the inquiry report into the incident that the then DCO Karachi, Fazal Rehman was asked to submit within three days by the City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal has not been received by Raza to date, informed Advocate Amir Maqsood who is assisting Advocate Nasir Maqsood in the case. ’s co-lawyer who is assisting in the case.

It was learnt that the contract of

carpeting the Abul Hasan Ispahani Road was given to Al-Mehran Builders (Pvt.) Ltd by the CDGK who did not adhere to the safety precautions and left the drain open. The construction work was not completed within the stipulated time and the drain had been left open for over five years. However, a few days after the death of Raza’s children’s the CDGK took immediate notice and constructed a boundary wall around it. “It was surprising because we had lodged several complaints earlier too, but the CDGK took notice. Seems like they were waiting for someone to die,” commented a passerby Jahanzeb when questioned by The News. He claimed to be a resident of the area for the past 12 years.

However, Raza is not happy as she demands that the drain, which contains toxic waste, cannot be left uncovered as it not only poses danger to motorists and pedestrians but also poses an environmental hazard. “It was the CDGK’s negligence and I don’t think a boundary wall is enough. The sewage drain should be completely covered to avoid any mishaps in the future,” insists Raza.

“It is also the responsibility of the contractor to keep in mind the road rules and safety of the public during the construction of roads and take adequate precautions,” states the lawyer adding that the CDGK and KWSB ought to bear responsibility for the supervision of the construction.

Amanullah Chahar, EDO Works and Services, when contacted, said the CDGK has no plans of covering the drain and the boundary wall built around it is high enough to prevent any mishap in the future. “We can’t cover the drain completely because it serves as an outlet to drain excess water during rains,” said the EDO. He added that since the matter is still pending in court, they have built a temporary wall and the contract to cover the drain, if at all, can only be handed out once the case is over.

However Parveen Rehman, Director Orangi Pilot Project, is of the opinion that this an adhoc measure by the CDGK. “They can’t leave a sewage drain uncovered especially if it contains toxic waste. A storm water drain is different than a toxic sewage drain and the latter should be covered after proper planning,” she suggested.

Shehla Raza’s children died after the taxi (her family was travelling in) skidded off and fell into an open 28 ft deep sewage drain containing toxic waste on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road on the second day of Eid in November 2005. She was on her way from Gulshan-e-Iqbal to meet a relative in Sohrab Goth. The drain was located a few metres away from her earlier residence in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

Raza stresses that she wants to use this opportunity to take a stance on negligence of the city government which is not only responsible for the death of her children but also for the death of several other children whose cases are not reported.

It may be noted here that this is not the only drain in the city that has claimed the lives of many, including the children of the Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly, but there are several other ‘killer nullahs’ like the Azam Basti nullah and Chanesar Goth nullah in Jamshed Town from where several deaths of children are frequently reported. The authorities concerned have, however, failed to take any notice.