Home dept imposes ban on waste dumping in Nullah Leh

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government has banned dumping waste and construction material in The Nullah Leh — which passes through the city’s downtown areas.

The nullah proves a catastrophe for the garrison city especially in monsoon season as its width is narrowing with each passing year owing to illegal constructions along its banks and the dumping of construction material.

The Punjab government has imposed section 144 on dumping solid waste including construction material in the drain and adjacent drains.

The provincial government said that violators will face the music in case of violation of the ban.

A notification issued by the provincial home department said that “dumping of any kind of construction materials and solid waste in Nullah Leh and adjacent small drains is prohibited. Cases can be registered against the violators and immediate arrest will also be made.”

Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema and WASA Managing Director Muhammad Tanveer said that the ban will not only save precious lives during the monsoon season but also save money as a huge chunk of funds is spent annually to remove the construction material and solid waste from Nullah Leh and other drains. They said that the ban will also help the unhindered flow of water in the drains, which will help avoid urban flooding.

The Punjab government has also increased the grant from Rs300 million to Rs600 million for cleaning Nullah Lai Nullah which wreaks havoc during monsoon floods every year.

Official sources said that a summary seeking an increase in the sanitation budget of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has been approved by the provincial government.

WASA officials said that diesel was available for Rs150 per litre last year which has almost doubled this year while the price of ‘cleaning machinery’ has doubled.

They said that all light and heavy machinery used for cleaning the drains consume diesel, which is an all-time high now. They said that if they had the Rs300 million at their disposal for cleaning the drain, they would have barely cleaned half of Nullah Leh, risking floods in the monsoon season. They said that the enhanced budget would help clean the drain with ease.

According to the officials, the Punjab finance ministry has released Rs300 in the first phase while the Rs300 million will be released in May.

The Punjab finance ministry confirmed that the sanitation funds have been increased from Rs300 million to Rs600 million on the recommendation of WASA.

According to WASA officials, the budget approval has been given to carry out the cleaning work in two phases.

They said that during the first phase, the Nullah Leh will be cleaned from New Katarian Bridge to Rialto Chowk from May 15 to June 30, which is a pre-monsoon season.

During the second phase, the cleaning will be carried out from Rialto Chowk to Dari Swan from July 1 to August 15, which is monsoon season.

During this exercise, the drain will also be deepened and widened so that the rainwater could pass without an obstruction.

Nullah Leh will be cleared of obstructions and waste materials under a public-private partnership, they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2023.