RAWALPINDI: The district administration will ensure that the banks of Leh Nullah are cleared from all kinds of encroachments and Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) will check the work of other civic bodies to clean drains and nullahs before monsoon. Completion certificates will also be issued in this regard.

In a meeting held to review arrangements for monsoon to avoid a flood-like situation in Rawalpindi division, Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha said the average wet days in Rawalpindi were 95 and the average rainfall is 1,320mm, so the civic bodies should make arrangements, taking this into consideration.

He directed the RDA director general to submit a certificate after completion of their work stating that all 15 drains falling into Leh Nullah have been cleared. He also said that a certificate from the managing director of Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) stating that all drains have been cleaned must be obtained and also from the municipal corporation regarding the cleaning of graveyards.

He said during rains, the fear of drowning in deep water increases considerably. In such a case, all deputy commissioners should enforce section 144 in dangerous areas so that no such emergency is likely to happen. The commissioner directed deputy commissioners of all six districts of Rawalpindi division to conduct third party validation of work being done by the Irrigation Department in order to ensure that repair work is being carried out genuinely where it is needed.

He further said that the sides of Leh Nullah should be kept free from all encroachments and it should be ensured that garbage or building material waste is not dumped there again. Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Mohammad Tanveer, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) representatives and senior officials of district administration participated in this meeting held at the commissioner’s office (Rawalpindi).

The commissioner further said that no one has control over natural calamaties, but early measures can reduce the damage done to some extent. He added that for expected rains in the monsoon season, it is necessary that 15 drains that fall into the Leh Nullah, due to which there is a high risk of flooding, are cleaned so that there is no obstruction in the flow of water.

Apart from this, other areas where the risk of being affected by floods is particularly higher such as Dhoke Naju, Ziaul Haq Colony, Dhoke Ratta, Ratta Amaral, Javed Colony, New Phagwari, Gawalmandi, Mohalla Raja Sultan, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh should also be given special attention.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2023