KARACHI: Several members of the Sindh Assembly representing various political parties signed a declaration to establish a ‘Water Caucus’ in the Sindh Assembly in order to ensure an allied approach to tackle water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) challenges in Sindh. The declaration was signed at a seminar on improved water, sanitation and hygiene in Sindh organized by USAID’s supported community mobilization for water governance, health and hygiene (CMHH) project implemented by HANDS. Members of Sindh Assembly, including Deputy Speaker Ms. Shahla Raza, Ms. Nusrat Saher Abbasi, Haji Shafi Jamote, Arif Mohsin Bhatti, Dr. Mohammad Rafique Banbhan, Faqeerdad Khoso, Dr. Khatu Mal Jeewan, Ghazala Siyal, Jam Madad Ali, Pir Mujeeb ul Haq, Engineer Pesu Mal Ukrani, Sorth Thebo signed the declaration. It was agreed that the WASH Caucus members will take up WASH concerns through institutional structures of the Sindh Assembly supporting development of legal framework on water and sanitation. Speaking on the occasion Engineer Pesu Mal Ukrani said that clean drinking water is a need of the people of Sindh and they have not taken many initiatives to provide clean drinking water to the people. MPA Jam Madad Ali said that said that municipalities in Sindh were not properly maintaining water supply systems, hence there is a need to look after these systems after installation. MPA Dr. Mohammad Rafique Babhan said that the people of Sindh have been deprived of clean drinking water, which was a matter of grave concern. “No water supply system across cities and towns of Sindh is providing clean drinking water. There is dire need to install contaminated free water supply besides sanitation” he added. MPA Haji Shafi Jamote said almost all lakes in Sindh are heavily polluted. Fishermen mostly use this water as a result, they are hit by various diseases. Discharge of sewerage water in the sea is destroying fish life, which needs to be stopped. There is need to filter sewerage water before discharging it into the sea. Former Minister Education and PPP leader Pir Mazharul Haq said that it was an irony that in Sindh laws and policies passed by the Sindh Assembly were not implemented. Therefore, it was the need of the hour that those laws should be implemented. He said that sewerage water is being discharged into Dadu canal, which is dangerous to the health of the people. He urged that there should be coordination between policymakers and lawmakers. USAID Deputy Mission Director Sindh and Balochistan Ms. Denise A. Herbol expressed concern over the deteriorating sanitation and water supply system in Sindh and stressed the need to improve it on a priority basis. She said that USAID was installing water supply systems in Jacobabad and the project is nearing completion. It would provide great facility to the citizens of Jacoababd. She further said that clean drinking water is essential for good health. Herbol said that currently citizens in Jacobabad are getting drinking water through donkey-carts, which is not clean. Chief Executive of HANDS Dr. Shaikh Tanveer Ahmed emphasized that the WASH Caucus will coordinate and communicate with major WASH organizations both in the public and private sectors outside the Sindh Assembly to extend support for implementation of WASH related policies and programmes. Iftikhar Kaimkhani, Program Director Sindh Municipal Service Delivery Program said that with the support of USAID, municipal infrastructure is being developed in six selected towns affected by flood of 2010. Under MSDP, he said that Jacobabad, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Johi has been selected Irfan Alrai WASH specialist said that “Half of Sindh is non-command area and only rain-fed. The 85% Indus River flow occur between June and September yearly. Sindh is facing water scarcity and there is dire need to provide clean drinking water to people in Sindh through better water supply. There is also need to improve sanitation in many cities and towns of Sindh, including Karachi.” He said that water is only social good but also economic good. Mustafa Zaur, Nadeem Wagan, Nasir Panhwar and Waheed Jamali also spoke at the occasion. Published in Daily Times, June 24th, 2017.