40% of Nullah Leh dredged

WASA official says process will be completed by June 25

RAWALPINDI: To avoid flooding during the upcoming monsoon season, the massive storm drain in the city is being dredged. So far, officials said, a little less than half of the drain has been cleared.

This was stated by a Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) official on Sunday. The official said that they are continuously removing tonnes of garbage and construction debris from Nullah Leh. He added that excavators have been cleaning the nullah from  Katrian, Rata Amral, Ganjmandi and Gawalmandi areas.

Furthermore, he said that dredging work will also be carried out in Pirwadhai, Dhoke Dalal, Phagwari Bridge, Saddar Road and adjoining areas.

After cleaning Nullah Leh from Gawalmandi to Pirwdahai, he said that the machines will also clean the area between Murree Road and Ratta Amral.

Pakistan to witness fresh spell of monsoon rains

"Problematic areas have been identified and the remaining work will be completed by June 25,” the official said.

The agency further appealed to residents who are living along Nullah Leh to avoid throwing and dumping their solid waste into the storm drain as it creates hindrances in the flow of water in the drain and causes flooding during the monsoon season.

Every year during the monsoon season or after heavy rains in the city, low-lying areas adjacent to Nullah Leh are flooded by water overflowing from the storm drain. It, hence, creates problems for those living in these areas in terms of health challenges and loss of property.

A project for managing flooding in the Nullah Leh Basin by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) stated that currently, water levels in Nullah Leh were normal but adjoining areas were receiving rain and that the basin had received a mean rainfall of 1.68mm.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2020.