Downpour debunks drainage promises

Despite Rs140m expenditure on desilting, waterlogged areas paint different picture

RAWALPINDI:

The second spell of heavy pre-monsoon rain on Wednesday exposed the hollow claims of the Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Rawalpindi Solid Waste Management Company (RWMC), Cantonment boards, and Rawalpindi District Council about the cleaning of Nullah Leh and 15 stormwater drains.

Despite the reported expenditure of Rs140 million on desilting efforts, waterlogged streets and flooded commercial and residential areas painted a different picture.

Streets and markets were submerged under up to three feet of water, causing severe damage to homes and shops.

Citizens reported millions in losses as water entered buildings. WASA officials were visible only at Committee Chowk underpass, while no senior official from any agency—including the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, DG RDA, MD WASA, or District Council Administrator—was seen in affected low-lying areas.

Rainwater and sewage remained stagnant for 4 to 6 hours, leaving a trail of mud, hospital waste, dead rodents, garbage, and fruit peels once the water receded.

No personnel from the Solid Waste Management Company's 'Clean Punjab Project' were seen in the affected neighbourhoods on Wednesday. Streets turned muddy and impassable, raising health concerns.

Residents in areas like Javed Colony and Nadeem Colony described how water entered their homes within three hours of rainfall starting at dawn.

They were left to manually drain water using buckets. Even parked vehicles, including loaders and rickshaws, were inundated with two feet of water and had to be push-started after hours.

Leaking ceilings in court buildings and on the Metro Bus track further indicated infrastructure vulnerabilities. Residents demanded an audit of the Rs. 140 million spent on cleaning Nullah Leh and storm drains, questioning why such devastating flooding occurred if the work had indeed been completed.

In many inner-city areas, residents have begun temporary evacuations. Among the worst-hit locations were Nadim Colony, Javed Colony, Fazalabad, Arya Mohalla, Dhok Elahi Bakhsh, Dhok Khaba, Amarpura, Qasimabad, Mohanpura, Pirwadhai, and several neighbourhoods around Dhok Hassu, Dhok Ratta, and People's Colony. Commercial hubs like Bohar Bazaar, Lal Haveli, Moti Bazaar, and Shalley Valley also remained submerged for over three hours.