RAWALPINDI: Before starting the dredging of Leh Nullah, the Water and Sanitation Agency has launched a Rs90 million project for the construction of walls along the nullah near Pirwadhai Graveyard in order to avoid land sliding during the monsoon.

A senior Wasa official told Dawn the provincial government has provided the Rs90 million for the construction of a wall in order to avoid damages to the graveyard.

He said the dredging of the Leh Nullah will be started in April and the walls will be completed by the end of March.

He said Wasa will also do some construction work near Gawalmandi, near the main bridge, to make the nearby residential areas safer in flood like situations.

He said the agency had also sought help from the government and asked for money so the dredging of Leh Nullah can be done before the monsoon.

The agency has also installed barriers on the roads along the Leh Nullah so trucks cannot enter these roads. He said these trucks dump construction waste and solid waste in the drain which created problems during the monsoon.

The official said Divisional Commissioner Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry had imposed a ban on the dumping of waste in the nullah and had directed Wasa to impose fines on those who violate the ban. The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and Wasa have formed teams to stop the dumping of waste in the drain.

Wasa spokesperson Umer Farooq told Dawn the walls will be constructed 100 feet high near the Pirwadhai and 20 feet high near the Gawalmandi Bridge.

A survey of the drain from Kattarian Bridge to Moti Mehal Cinema had also been conducted, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2018