RCB launches drive to clean storm drains

Official says encroachment along banks of drains also removed

RAWALPINDI: With monsoon almost upon the city, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) on Monday started dredging and clearing clogged storm drains, an official of the board said.

RCB spokesperson Qaiser Mehmood on Monday said they were dredging, de-silting and cleaning various storm drains in the cantonment before monsoon starts.

He added that the main storm drain within their jurisdiction had been cleared using heavy machinery.

Mehmood added that the action was taken on the directions of Cantonment Executive Officer (CEO) who directed the sanitation officials to accelerate cleanliness work.

The sanitation branch, he said, was also working to clean all areas falling within RCB’s jurisdiction.

The RCB official said that they had dredged Adra drain along with drains from Tench Pulli to Faisal Colony, Miran Bakhsh Colony, Akhri Stop, Tench Bhatta Pulli, Jan Colony, Dhoke Abdul Latif Pulli, Aslam Market, Rahat Colony, Mughalabad Street Nullah, Shalley Valley to Dhoke Banaras, Dhoke Banaras to Allama Iqbal Colony Street 2, Habib Colony drain, Chak Madad Khan, Gawalmandi, Akbar Market, Officers Colony drain, Friends Colony, IJP Road and Shah Piyara Allahabad areas.

Further, Mehmood said that cleanliness work on Jaba Pulli, Lane 4 to 7, Radio Pakistan, Nursery Pulli and Westridge Race Course Street No 3, Qalma Chowk Dhoke Syedan Road (both sides), Quaid-i-Azam Colony drain, Kalma Chowk to Dhamiyal Road, Street 7 Mohallah Hajian, Rawal Town Pull was underway.

He said that Rescue Station In-charge Mumtaz Awan and Rescue 1122 Flood Monitoring Officer Rafaqat Ali along with a team from the RCB had also visited all drains within in RCB. The rescue team, Mehmood said, checked dredging work and cleanliness arrangements made by the cantonment board’s sanitation branch.

Moreover, special teams had been formed for providing quick response and rescue in the event of any emergency. The spokesperson further said that they had also worked on removing encroachment from the banks of drains.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2017.