RAWALPINDI:
Before the monsoon season, cleaning and desilting of Nullah Leh and 15 drainage canals of the city will be completed at a cost of Rs80 million. The operation should begin on May 1 and will be finalized by June 15.
The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has initiated the contracting process for desilting of Nullah Leh from IJP Road to Moti Mahal Chowk at an estimated cost of Rs50 million.
Meanwhile, tenders have been floated for cleaning 15 urban drainage canals that flow into Nullah Leh from inside the city, at an estimated expenditure of Rs 30 million.
Officials noted that failure to clean Nullah Leh and the drainage network before the monsoon season usually results in flooding in low-lying areas of the town and cantonment.
The desilting works involve increasing the depth of the nullah and removing obstacles to ensure the proper flow of rainwater into the Soan River, thereby preventing overflows during heavy rains.
Similarly, uncleaned sewer channels often cause water to spill into surrounding low-lying localities, leading to urban flooding.
WASA Director General Azizullah Khan said that like previous years, a comprehensive plan has been prepared to complete the cleaning of Nullah Leh and all 15 drainage canals before the onset of monsoon. Heavy machinery will be deployed for the operation.
He further said that strict restrictions had been imposed on dumping of construction materials and solid waste into Nullah Leh and drainage canals, warning that legal action would be taken against violators.
The WASA director general added that large-scale emergency preparedness exercises will also be conducted ahead of the monsoon season.
All machinery will remain operational, field personnel mobilized, a control room established and flood relief camps set up as part of the agency’s preparedness measures.
