Funds granted for Leh project's feasibility

The Punjab Planning and Development (P&D) Department has approved Rs41 million for a feasibility study to revive the long-delayed Nullah Leh project in Rawalpindi.

The study will explore four proposals: an alternative traffic route, an open flood channel, the installation of trunk sewage lines, and a sewage treatment plant. The project, which has been stalled for over three decades, aims to address severe pollution and flooding issues in the twin cities.

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has already submitted a revised Terms of Reference (TOR) and will soon hire a consultant for the study.

The Nullah Leh project, first initiated under former President Pervez Musharraf, was halted in 2008. The feasibility study is seen as a critical step in reviving the project, which has faced numerous delays despite repeated government efforts.

Once a pristine canal fed by rainwater and mountain streams, Nullah Leh has now become a major open sewage channel. For decades, sewage from Islamabad, Rawalpindi City, and Cantonment areas has been diverted into the nullah, resulting in severe air pollution across the twin cities. Every monsoon season, the nullah floods, causing significant damage to residents.

Despite annual efforts by the Punjab government to deepen the channel before the monsoons—at the cost of billions of rupees—the problem persists, leaving the issue unresolved year after year.

The Nullah Leh project, initiated during the tenure of former President General Pervez Musharraf, aimed to build a road along its banks to provide an alternative traffic route for the twin cities. Additionally, the project sought to redirect open sewage into the main trunk system and transport it safely through the Soan River. However, in 2008, both the federal and Punjab governments cancelled the initiative. Despite numerous meetings, briefings, and presentations, successive governments failed to revive the project. Even with its approval during Imran Khan's government, it remained incomplete.

To reignite the long-stalled Nullah Leh project, the RDA has now been instructed to proceed with further action.

The approval of a feasibility study marks a crucial step in determining the best approach for moving the project forward.