Rawalpindi:
The recent monozonic downpour in Rawalpindi and Islamabad resulted in generalized floods, important damage and loss of lives. The authorities have identified the illegal construction of natural water channels as the main cause.
The investigations confirmed that water passages in residential areas, green belts, open fields and private housing societies were clogged or altered.
Without an adequate drainage infrastructure, the water increased to urban centers, immersing low areas and exposing systemic planning failures. In response, the Development Authority of Rawalpindi (RDA) has initiated a joint workforce that involves the Rawalpindi and Chaklala, the Pakistan army and other departments. A high -level meeting, chaired by the general director of the RDA, Kinza Murtaza, emphasized the immediate application of existing laws and the elimination of invasions along the rivers.
The meeting resolved to restore natural water flow routes and enforce the laws of “right of passage” to avoid future disasters. The authorities acknowledged that poor planning, rainwater drains blocked and the development of unauthorized lands contributed directly to the crisis. The authorities promised to rehabilitate the areas prone to floods and ensure that natural river paths remain without obstacles, thus avoiding repeated scenarios of flood -induced destruction.
