RAWALPINDI, May 19: The local administration in its ongoing cleanliness drive removed 6,500 tons of garbage from 11 nullahs to avoid flooding during the monsoon season in the city.

The solid waste management department of the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) launched the cleanliness campaign on May 16 which will continue till June 30.

Dr Mazhar Azeem, the district officer solid waste management, told Dawn on Sunday that the city district government had started the cleanliness drive to clean the 11 big nullahs and drains to prevent flooding in the city during the monsoon.

He said the desilting would improve the water flow up to two feet.

The official said the target was to remove 100,000 tons of waste from the nullahs which would be achieved within the stipulated timeline.

It may be mentioned that Nullah Leh was widened in 2002, following a major flood in 2001.

However, the drains and nullahs remain blocked during the monsoon every year.

During the rainy season, parts of Rawalpindi such as Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Bangash Colony, Usmanpura, Dhoke Ratta, Satellite Town, Mohanpura, Amarpura, Liaquat Bagh, Dhoke Hasu, Dhoke Mantkal, Javed Colony, Chamanzar Colony and Akal Garh are flooded by rainwater from Leh Nullah.

Dr Mazhar said 1,000 sanitary workers were taking part in the cleanliness drive.

The work on cleaning of the four major nullahs would be started with the help of heavy machinery which would be hired soon.

On the first day, Irfan Shahzad, a sanitary supervisor at Jamia Mosque Road, was issued a show-cause notice for not starting the campaign despite orders form the district officer.