KARACHI:
Last Wednesday, a cloudburst caused severe urban flooding in many parts of Islamabad. The downpour resulted in nullahs overflowing and water entering into residential units, affecting the civilians in the process. The flooding event has sparked outrage against illegal constructions over nullahs in the capital city.
Instead of taking responsibility and enforcing the law, the CDA has conveniently placed the blame on private builders operating in E-11 who had carried out unauthorised construction without obtaining an NOC from the CDA. Instead of discouraging these activities, an NOC was issued to the owner by a department within the CDA. This is a cause for concern because it can result in an ecological disaster which can cause serious hazards in the locality. The nullah was not thoroughly cleaned even when the developments took place. It is now brimming with garbage, the result of which could be severe flooding, the spreading of deadly diseases, and generation of toxic and explosive gases.
It is, therefore, extremely necessary for the relevant authorities to clear off any illegal construction, restore the greenbelt, and ensure that the nullah is unclogged. The restoration of the green belt would help avert future disasters. It is important to create a bottleneck in the nullah and prevent the area from turning into a concrete jungle.
Fuad Enver
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2021.
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