RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has released Rs25 million for dredging of Leh Nullah and refurbishment of five tubewells in the city.

A senior official of Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) told Dawn that contractors of metro bus project dumped waste material on the bank of Leh Nullah which gradually slipped into the nullah.

The agency therefore requested the government to provide funds so that it could carry out dredging.

When asked about the timing of dredging as monsoon had just ended, the official said it (dredging) was a long-term process and took at least a year.

Leh Nullah and the city drains get choked every year during monsoon, creating problems for the residents. The worst-ever flood in Leh Nullah was witnessed on July 23, 2001 which caused dozens of casualties and resulted in widespread destruction.

Since the catastrophe, the city district administration has made it a practice to undertake dredging every year.

This year too, Wasa removed mounds of mud and stone from Leh Nullah to prevent a flood-like situation during monsoon.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood confirmed to Dawn that the Punjab government had released Rs25 million under the annual development programme. He said Rs15 million would be spent on dredging of Leh Nullah and Rs10 million on the refurbishment of five abandoned tubewells.

He said the agency would start dredging of Leh Nullah to remove hurdles in the smooth flow of water.

He said the agency had spent Rs6 million on the cleanliness of Leh Nullah before the start of monsoon.

The agency would repair tubewells at Dhoke Kala Khan, Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Banni Chowk and Raja Bazaar. He said after the refurbishment of the tubewells, residents of these localities would get potable water round the clock.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2014