Every monsoon, Leh Nullah swells and inundates low-lying areas but so far no government could overcome the problem despite spending millions of rupees.

The nullah passes through the heart of the city’s downtown and plays havoc with public life and property.

The over 30-kilometre-long nullah starts from the foot of Margallah Hills in Islamabad and discharges into Soan River near Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench.

The nullah has six major tributaries, three originating in the foothills of Islamabad. The nullah flows down through Rawalpindi where another three tributaries join it.

During the British rule, Nullah Leh used to be a clean stream and home to fish, turtles and a variety of other aquatic life. There were flower and vegetable gardens and bamboo trees along its banks. Swimming in the stream was a favourite pastime of the locals.

On July 23, 2001, after a few hours of heavy rain a flood in the nullah brought devastation in the city. As many as 35 people lost their lives while many slums were swept away.

In 2018, another flood in the nullah damaged properties along the waterway.

The provincial government spent millions of rupees on dredging of the nullah every year. This year, the government has also launched dredging at a cost of Rs10 million to protect the city from floods. The dredging started from Gawalmandi and the nullah is to be cleaned from Moti Mahal Bridge to Kattarian.

But fears of a flood-like situation loom large in the residential areas along the nullah. Every year before monsoon the residents make arrangements to protect their houses as they do not trust arrangements made by the government.

“People mostly shift their valuables to the upper portions of their houses or to their relatives’ houses in other localities as rainwater enters their houses,” said Mohammad Ayub, a resident of Javed Colony.

“Most of the people have constructed their houses along the nullah and they are not willing to leave. The prices of land and houses in the low-lying areas are very low.”

Experts and local politicians are of the view that dredging of Leh Nullah before the monsoon is mere eyewash and the government should find a permanent solution to check flooding.

“There are two problems which created mess every year: encroachments on the banks of Leh Nullah and dumping of solid waste and construction waste material into the nullah. There are more than four civic bodies working along the Leh Nullah but they have failed to stop dumping of waste into the nullah,” said a senior official of the district administration.

He said Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC)’s building department had failed to check mushroom growth of buildings on the banks of the nullah.

Walking to Pirwadhai from I.J. Principal Road, one can find Dhoke Hassu and Gali Loharan on banks of nullah encroached. At Murree Road, one can see construction on the banks of the nullah near Moti Mahal, Liaquat Road near Nishat Cinema, Gowalmandi, Ratta Amral, Dhoke Dalal, Khyaban-i-Sir Syed and adjoining areas.

People have raised retaining walls along the nullah after constructing commercial buildings. Some local politicians also encroached the land along the nullah and constructed buildings.

A senior official of the RMC told Dawn that encroachments had increased in the city in the last 18 years.

“In 2002, the local government acquired the land after the devastating flood but it was also encroached,” he said.

“A tussle between the RDA and RMC over the boundary of their areas was another reason for the mushroom growth of encroachments. Neither RDA nor RMC took any action in last 18 years.”

He said Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards also dumped solid waste into the nullah. There is a dire need to make a comprehensive plan under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner to stop dumping solid waste and construction material waste into the nullah.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Mohammad Tanveer said the main problem was dumping of solid waste and construction material into the nullah and encroachments.

He said Wasa had given three suggestions to check flooding in Leh Nullah.

“The banks of nullah should be fenced to avoid encroachments and dumping of solid waste. The nullah should also be dug at least one meter more and Leh Nullah Expressway and flood channel projects should be launched.”

He said the flood occurred when the nullah swelled and blocked discharging points of 11 drains.

“After digging of the main nullah, the discharging points will not be blocked and there will be no overflowing of rainwater from the nullah,” he said.

PML-N leader and former MNA Malik Shakil Awan told Dawn that the government had failed to launch Leh Nullah Expressway and flood channel projects and would not be able to launch them even in the coming year.

“We conducted a detailed survey of the area last year and decided to establish a sewage treatment plant (STP) to treat sewage of Leh Nullah. Land had been acquired for STP at Adiala village and the project was to be started in 2019 but the PTI government failed to launch it.”

He said the PML-N government wanted to lay sewerage system in the city areas and in some areas work had been completed.

PPP City President Babar Jadoon said encroachments along the nullahs were the main issue which created mess in every monsoon. He said the trend of encroachments increased in last eight years and RMC officials were responsible for it.

“No one can construct any building without the help of the building branch officials.”

He said in many areas the nullah was 60 feet wide in the past but has now shrunk to 10 feet. He said he had pointed out many places to the mayor of Rawalpindi but he did not take any notice of the issue.

PTI MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafique said the Leh Expressway and flood channel were the only projects that could stop flooding in the monsoon. He said the railway minister had tried to launch the project 10 years ago and had it been constructed the flooding issue in Leh Nullah would have been solved.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2019