Dredging of Nullah Leh begins

The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has started de-silting Nullah Leh well before the onset of the monsoon season to prevent urban floods during torrential downpours.

According to an official of the civic agency, the dredging will cost WASA an estimated Rs60 million.

The de-silting process with the help of heavy machinery will continue for two months during which the main drain of the garrison city will be dredged from Katariyan Bridge to Gwalmandi Bridge and also to Ammar Shaheed Chowk.

WASA has also prepared a plan to de-silt 14 sewage drains that pass through the inner city and fall into Nullah Leh.

According to WASA MD Muhammad Tanveer, the depth of Nullah Leh will be increased and obstructions will be cleared to ensure the flow of rainwater through Nullah Leh smoothly.

The caretaker Punjab government has already released funds to WASA and has issued directions to complete the process by June 30. The government wanted to complete the work without any further delay. The Meteorological Department has forecast a fierce monsoon season for this year. The prediction has highlighted the dire need to remove mud and other obstacles in the smooth flow of rainwater coming from the capital city and adjoining nullahs.

Meanwhile, it’s feared that if the civic agency does not undertake the cleaning of 14 sewage drains in the inner city, low-lying areas would be flooded during the monsoon rains.

They said construction activities on the banks of these sewers will be prohibited to ensure the smooth flow of water from the sewers into the main drain.

WASA sources said heavy machinery has arrived on the site and the work will be monitored by the WASA teams.

Meanwhile, the process of third-party inspection of essential machinery and equipment used in WASA's planning before the monsoon has been completed.

Gujranwala Public Health Engineering Department Superintending Engineer Qaiser Rashid has expressed his satisfaction with WASA’s equipment and preparations.

WASA authorities have been directed to ensure that building material is not dumped into the main drain and that inferior quality work is prevented.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Waqar Hassan Cheema has also directed the WASA authorities to clean Nullah Leh and the city's sewage drains before the monsoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2023.