SWABI: The tehsil municipal administrations (TMAs) here have launched a campaign to clean nullahs and drains in the four tehsils of the district to avoid flooding during monsoon rains.

When contacted, the TMA officials said on Sunday that the relevant staff had been asked to complete the task of cleaning drains and shifting the garbage to far-flung areas or landfill sites as soon as possible.

Last year, rainwater had entered many houses in the low-laying areas of the four tehsils.

An official said that people in Topi city had badly suffered due to heavy rain and floods.

Another official said that rainwater could flood roads and enter houses and shops especially where plastic bags got stuck in drains.

The residents claimed that last year the performance of the district administration and TMAs was not satisfactory, as they did not complete the task despite collecting taxes.

Ahmad Ali Khan, a resident of Swabi, said that if drains were not cleaned timely the situation during the upcoming monsoon season could be more dangerous.

The officials said that the people should also play their due role in the cleanliness drive and must clean the drains in front of their houses.

An official of the district administration said that the people, especially those living in low-lying areas, should take precautionary measures to protect their buildings and property from the worst impact of rains.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2021