Nullah Leh. PHOTO: FILE
Up to eight different spots have been selected for this purpose where water measuring instruments are installed.
The SHOs of the police stations, within whose jurisdictions the Nullah flows, have been ordered to patrol the area to keep an eye on children playing around near banks of the Nullah.
The action was taken on the directions of City Police Officer (CPO) Faisal Rana, who said that there had been incidents in the past where children drowned in nullahs during monsoon season.
City flooded after rain
A number of low-lying areas in Rawalpindi were waterlogged as clogged nullahs of the city overflowed in a heavy downpour on Friday morning.
A number of city and cantonment areas including Murree Road Jamia Masjid Road, Peoples Colony, Chaman Zaar, Dhok Elahi Baksh, Sadiqbad Sheikhupura Road, Millat Chowk, Allama Iqbal Colony, Madina Town etc. were submerged in water.
The roads and streets presented a shape of artificial ponds while the rainwater also entered many houses. The citizens had to drain it out on a self-help basis.
The teams of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) initiated the operations after the rain stopped and pumped out water from Murree Road and other areas using sucker machines. Hence, the operations in various parts of the city continued till early Saturday morning.
Ghazi Barotha water supply project
The long-standing Ghazi Barotha water supply project is expected to commence in March, 2020. It is expected that the feasibility study of the project would be conducted soon.
Well-placed sources have said that installation of new tube-wells in the twin cities was nothing more than wasting of funds.
MNA calls for early cleaning of Nullah Leh
However, up to 37 dilapidated tube-wells were being replaced in different areas with MNA development funds.
Furthermore, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director Muhammad Tanvir said that the Ghazi Barotha project would roughly cost around Rs70-80 billion. He added that the project would fulfill water needs of the twin cities for the next hundred years. He said that even after this period, the water supply network could be extended from the project.
The MD said that water would be obtained from a raining source.
Muhammad Tanvir added that the incumbent government was committed to resolving the water shortage issue in twin cities.
He said that past delays in the project were a serious mistake.
Water shortage
The water shortage in Rawal Town area has intensified due to tube-well operators.
The operators only supply water to certain streets and have turned off valves of others owing to which the residents are facing extreme difficulties.
The victims have demanded the administration to take notice of the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2019.
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