Nullah Leh cleanliness drive under way ahead of monsoon season

Inspection of machinery, monitoring possibility of floods part of efforts

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi Commissioner (RC) Gulzar Hussain Shah on Sunday issued directions to start dredging and de-silting of Nullah Leh and formed a monitoring team to look after the drive.

Under the supervision of Local Government and Community Development Director Amna Rafique, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) officials inspected the cleanliness drive along Nullah Leh on Gawalmandi on Sunday.

WASA managing director (MD), while briefing RC on the cleanliness drive, said that the Punjab government had released a grant worth Rs30 million to WASA Rawalpindi during the financial year.

“We will work to clean the drain from Katarian, Murree Road and adjoining areas. The obstacles in the flow of water under and around the bridges will be removed. The silt and solid waste dumps in Nullah Lai will also be lifted by the heavy machinery,” the MD told The Express Tribune.

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He further said that the cleaning work of Nullah Leh will be completed before the start of the monsoon. He added that the authority had finalised a plan which included cleaning of sewerage lines, annual cleaning of Nullah Leh as well as inspection of WASA machinery and monitoring possibility of floods.

The cleaning of small and big drains and nullahs of the city will be completed by the Municipal Corporation and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), he further maintained.

Shah asked the authorities concerned to ensure early completion of cleanliness work of drains.

Moreover, WASA Chairman Tariq Murtaza appealed to the residents living along Nullah Leh to avoid throwing and dumping solid waste into the nullah as it creates a hindrance in the flow of water, resulting in floods during the monsoon season. However, he made it clear that strict action would be taken against those who are found involved in this activity will be taken.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2021.