WASA to sack more than 700 employees.

Byline: Z Ali

HYDERABAD -- The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) of Hyderabad is likely to undergo a second round of colossal layoffs after the agency's top officials conceded in their report the uselessness of hundreds of daily wage employees. In the report submitted before the Supreme Court-mandated Commission on Water and Sanitation during a meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday, the officials stated that they require services of 977 daily wage staff out of a total of 1,604.

The joint report was submitted by WASA Managing Director (MD) Agha Abdul Raheem and Additional MD Saleemuddin Arain. In July 2016, more than 500 employees from WASA and its parent organisation, Hyderabad Development Authority, were sacked with the hope that the attrition would improve financial health of the two organisations.

However, in the following two years, the staff kept protesting recurrently due to non-payment of salaries while the agency's financial straits, due to a huge variance revenue generation and expenses, continued as well. 'Both [MD and additional MD] have suggested that only 977 [staff] need to be retained and services of the others should be terminated,' the commission's order observed.

However, the commission's chairman Justice (R) Amir Hani Muslim forwarded the report to Sindh local government secretary for review and decision. The secretary will have to submit report about the decision to Justice (R) Muslim in seven days.

The commission heard complaints about solid waste burning and dumping near the residential areas in Hyderabad. Sindh Environment Protect Agency (SEPA) Regional Director informed that he has been repeatedly issuing notices to Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) and Qasimabad Municipal Committee (QMC) but to no avail.

He said that the garbage was dumped in the open and burnt on daily basis, pointing out the localities where this happens on a large scale in Qasimabad and Latifabad.

The commission inquired about the status of acquisition of 200 acres of land along the M9 Motorway for the landfill sites for Hyderabad and Jamshoro. However, Justice (R) Muslim was informed that Sindh land utilisation department has so far approved the summary for only one piece of 100 acres land for Jamshoro.

That summary is now pending with the environment department secretary for the approval. The case for acquisition of land for the landfill site for Hyderabad is still in process. The HMC's Mayor Syed Tayab Hussain pointed out a lack of resources...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT