Marble waste chokes Dallas Nullah again
Millions of rupees spent by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government on the cleaning and rehabilitation of Dallas Nullah along Warsak Road risk being wasted due to the unabated dumping of marble waste by nearby factories.
The situation has sparked serious concerns about potential flooding during the ongoing monsoon season, with floodwaters likely to spill onto Warsak Road and adjoining residential areas.
Local residents have urgently appealed to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, and the Provincial Minister for Irrigation to intervene immediately and safeguard the population from flood risks.
Meanwhile, Secretary Forests, Environment and Wildlife Junaid Khan has taken notice of the matter and directed the Environmental Protection Department to take strict action against the offending factories.
A significant amount was allocated in the provincial budget for 202526 for irrigation and drainage projects. Prior to the close of the financial year, authorities initiated work to remove silt from the Dallas Nullah and construct protective embankments.
A local housing society also contributed more than Rs20 million for the construction of embankments along the nullah, with the work reported as completed. However, even before the cleaning could be fully finished, marble factories located along the banks began dumping waste into the channel, causing it to silt up again rapidly.
The continued dumping has raised fears that heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas could result in floodwater overflowing into nearby residential localities and Warsak Road.
Junaid Khan stated that he has issued necessary instructions to the Environmental Protection Department to address the violation.
The nullah serves as an important local irrigation and drainage water channel running parallel to the canal system in the Warsak Road area of Peshawar.