RAWALPINDI:
The government has decided to release flood funds worth Rs 154.53 crore for complete clearing and clearing of Nullah Leh and 15 stormwater drains to protect the city from monsoon-related devastation.
The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi has requested immediate funds of Rs 84.53 million from the government to safeguard the city from the expected above-normal and potentially destructive monsoon rains this year. The funds will be used to widen, clean and deepen Nullah Leh, which covers a catchment area of 239.8 square kilometres.
Currently, heaps of garbage, construction debris and dumped waste throughout the year have formed mounds at multiple places in Nullah Leh, raising the level of its bed. Authorities have warned that if complete clearing, deepening and widening is not carried out this year, catastrophic flooding could occur.
The Nullah Leh flood season runs from June 15 to September 15, and the district administration has officially declared this period as the flood season for drainage and 15 other stormwater canals across the city.
The Municipal Corporation will be responsible for cleaning the 15 storm drains and has been allocated Rs 70 crore for this. WASA has received a formal letter from the Punjab government and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat regarding the release of funds, which are expected to be disbursed in the first ten days of April.
Nullah Lai’s catchment area extends throughout the city and the cantonment. The Leh Expressway project, initiated in 2008 by then President General Pervez Musharraf at an estimated cost of Rs 17,000 crore, has been shelved due to lack of funds. The cost of the project has now risen to around Rs 70 billion.
The water in Nullah Leh originates from three mountain ranges of Islamabad, while sewage from Rawalpindi cantonment and rainwater also flows into it. Historically, flooding has occurred between July and September since 1967.
The drainage is heavily contaminated with trash, debris and untreated sewage, posing environmental risks to residents. Illegal discharges have reduced its cross section, obstructing natural flow. During dry seasons, reduced water flow causes solid waste to accumulate, forming small islands that must be removed to ensure smooth flow during the monsoon.
WASA has proposed Rs 84.53 million for this year, including Rs 50 million as additional monsoon funds and Rs 34.53 million to clear outstanding liabilities.
Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said the government will fully support WASA in flood prevention efforts, ensuring the provision of all necessary funds for the clearing, widening and deepening operations, which will be completed by June 30.
