RAWALPINDI, Oct 12: The district government on Friday approved a master plan for Leh Project, which would begin sometime in mid January, to save the city from the ravages of floods, highly-placed sources told Dawn.

The decision to this effect was taken during a high-level meeting. The project, being financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB), is estimated to cost $1 million.

The district government will be requiring additional funding for land acquisition in this regard, for which it is expected to approach the provincial and federal governments.

District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani, when contacted, told Dawn that the meeting took certain principle decisions regarding the problem that had been afflicting the people of Rawalpindi for decades.

The design, the sources said, was progressive and would have room for future expansion and development works. Moreover, it has been decided in principle that there will be minimum dislocation of the local population as a result of the project.

The project includes construction of two bridges, one each at Dhoke Dalal, Pirwadhai Road, and Dhoke Chiragdin, widening, desilting, dredging and channelization of the Nullah.

The parameters considered in planning the project were the peak flows recorded during 1997 floods, when the flow was recorded at 40,000 cusec feet. The officials said the current year’s floods were due to cloudbursts, and it was impossible to prepare for such natural calamities.

Accordingly, the Nullah, towards the tail-end, would have a 70-metre width and a discharge capacity of 36,000 cusec feet, plus one meter free board to provide an additional capacity of 5,000 cusecs outflow.

Similarly, the widening of the Nullah would be carried out from IJ Principal Road to Swan Camp. Moreover, its width, along the course, would be adjusted according to the tail-end width.

The two bridges that are to be constructed on the Nullah, it has been learnt, will be three-span, having a minimum number of piers. The bridges’ design will be modernistic, having a 100-year durability. The Dhoke Dalal, Pirwadhai Road Bridge will be 80 metres long with a width of 13 metre. The dimensions of the other bridge are similar.

The district government, the sources said, had also constituted a three-member committee to conduct a survey of encroachments and buildings located along the Nullah’s course. The committee headed by Brig (Rtd) Habibur Rehman, comprises executive district officer (revenue) and a representative of Tehsil Municipal Administration.

A schedule of activities for the project has also been approved by the district authorities, under which tenders will be received upto December 15, after which the ADB will evaluate the bids. The contract will be awarded in the mid of December this year. The company, thus, securing the contract will start work on the project by mid January.

The ADB consultants, it had been learnt, were pressing that a timeframe of one-year should be granted for the construction of the two bridges. However, on the insistence of Mr Kiani the time limit was slashed to six months from the start of the project.

The remaining work, including desilting, dredging, channelization and widening of the Nullah will take a bit longer, the officials said after the meeting.

The district Nazim has also called for awarding the contract to some well-reputed firm, having substantial experience, so that the project can be completed at the earliest and the quality of work is maintained.