Nullah Leh fencing put on back-burner

Plans to fence the 13-km Nulla Leh waterway that floods every year during monsoon wreaking havoc in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been put on hold till the time the new government takes control following elections.

The project, which was expected to cost Rs300 million, has been put on hold due to the ‘dire straits’ of the finances. The fence had to be put up to stop residents of nearby localities from dumping garbage into the nullah. It would have also kept livestock such as buffaloes and cows entering and defecating in the waterway. People have also thrown construction material in the nullah in the past.

Additionally, the plans to improve surveillance to monitor for violators using close circuit television (CCTV) cameras has also been put off. It envisioned the installation of cameras at various locations along the five-foot barrier on both sides of the nullah.

The project was developed in collaboration with the Federal Flood Commission. It had to be funded by the federal and Punjab governments. The financial crisis resulted in the postponement of the project, which was initially slated to start in September.

Meanwhile, the district administration of Rawalpindi has extended the flood season by one month due to the threat of flooding in the city's ten main rain drains and Nullah Leh due to above-average rainfall this year.

As a result, instead of ending on August 31, the contingency plan will stay in effect till September 30. With the extension, the end of flood season would coincide with the time when dengue cases hit peak numbers, which is likely to be announced as October 1.

There have been five high-level floods this year as a result of the persistently intense rains, with damages reported across low-lying neighbourhoods around the city.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Tanveer Ahmad said the department had stayed ‘on alert’ since June 15. The ten rainwater drains, including Nullah Leh, underwent thorough silt cleaning twice, which has accelerated the drainage of rainwater, he said.

He said slit cleaning crews would remain at work till the end of the flood season. Once the rains start, a real-time update on the water condition in Nullah Leh would be provided.

Both short-term and long-term initiatives would be launched when the flood season is over to completely control the flood situation in Nullah Leh before the monsoon of 2024, he continued.

The attention and priority would be on Rawalpindi's drinking water and flood challenges following the formation of a new government, he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2023.