WASA imposes emergency as rain looms
Traffic continues to flow on Korangi Road during the first shower of the rainy season on Friday. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Rawalpindi has imposed a rain emergency in view of the third spell of monsoon rains expected from July 19.
It has formed two shifts of twelve hours each to provide round the clock support and has completed the inspection of machinery for the contingency plan.
Wasa said that if the water level in the drains rises to 18 to 20 feet, the low-lying areas may be submerged due to sewage overflow.
The agency said that it had completed the cleaning of the rainwater drains and nullahs. They added that the drains would continue to be cleaned through the monsoon season.
It should be mentioned that the garrison city received 50 mms of rain in the first spell of monsoon rains, and then around 60 mms in the second spell.
On Saturday, following heavy rain in the twin cities, the water level in the Nullah Leh rose by 8.3 feet at the Gawalmandi bridge. Several low-lying areas were inundated. There was visible accumulation of rainwater on multiple points in Rawalpindi including the Jamia Masjid Road, Rawal Road, Tipu Road, Bohra Bazaar, Kashmir Road and Adamjee Road.
Rain preps
According to the agency, the contingency arrangements in the case of heavy rain have been completed.
It includes setting up of three complaint centers which citizens can contact in case they get trapped in a low-lying area that has been submerged. The army, civil defense and other organizations will be responsible for the rescue.
Wasa spokesperson Umar Farooq said after that they had come up with new plans in the wake of the rains in May 2021, during which Rawalpindi received 610 mm in a span of five to six hours.
It included increasing the heights of the bridges over Nullah Leh as well as increasing the depth and width of the nullah. Other measures involved removal of encroachments, constructions and impediment in the path of the water were removed.
With these steps, the spokesperson said, the water level has stayed between 12 to 15 feet for the last 22 years. The extremely high and dangerous level is when the water rises to 28 feet. “If the water level rises to this extent, Rawalpindi can be completely submerged,” he added.
The spokesperson said that the third spell of rain was predicted from Wednesday, with the forecast saying it would continue for three days.
Wasa and the district administration will jointly continue the operation to drain water from the low-lying areas and shift the affected citizens to safe places. If the water level in Nullah Leh rises to dangerous levels, the residents would be evacuated shifted to safer places.
Dengue alert
The district health authority (DHA) chief said on Sunday that larvae breeding sees an uptick during rain while urging precautions against dengue. DHA Ijaz informed that accumulated rainwater collected in the garbage was a leading cause of dengue breeding.
Dr Ijaz Ahmed, the DHA CEO, said that efforts were afoot to ensure dengue sprays even when its impact was neutralized by rainwater.
He said that the leaves of staff of the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), Wasa and the health authority had been cancelled as they wanted ‘all hands on deck’ to control the looming threat of dengue.
The complete blood count (CBC) test facility had been provided to rural health centers (RHC) for dengue diagnosis with the caretaker health minister of the province overseeing the arrangements.
He added that they had hired 1500 new employees in the health department to combat dengue.
With additional input from DNA
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2023.