RAWALPINDI: To restore Leh Nullah as a storm water channel by laying trunk sewers on its both sides, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is going to start a model study at a cost of Rs69 million.

The civic agency has prepared PC-II of the model study with the help of the Military Engineering branch, Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa).

The sewage from the city and cantonment areas will be transported through the sewers to the treatment plant at Gorkhpur near Adiala and the nullah’s original shape of a clean water channel would be restored.

A senior official told Dawn that Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha two months ago had asked the RDA to form a committee to conduct the survey of the nullah to lay trunk sewers.

Consultant to be hired to conduct survey, which will be completed in six months, says official

He said the commissioner had also asked the RDA to contact Capital Development Authority and the Islamabad administration for their input as the sewage from the federal capital was discharged into Leh Nullah at Kattarian.

The total length of Leh Nullah from Kattarian Bridge to Soan River near Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench building is 16 kilometres and daily 600 cusecs sewage is discharged into it.

The last flood that the nullah witnessed was on July 23, 2001 when 620mm rain in a few hours resulted in the worst flood in the city’s history. Thirty-five people lost their lives while many slums were swept away.

If heavy rains occur in the twin cities, Nullah Leh’s water level could rise to the dangerous level of 18 feet.

Talking to Dawn, RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa said that the project was sent to Planning and Development Department for approval but it made some observations and after removing their objections the project was likely to be approved in coming week.

He said the provincial government was also interested in the project so it had asked for removal of all objections to give it the go-ahead signal. He said funds would be provided by the government for the study.

He said the Planning and Development Authority had stated that Wasa should carry out the work, but we informed then that Wasa was an agency of the RDA and would not raise any objection.

He said Wasa was already working on the sewerage treatment plant as it had land in Gorakhpur near Adiala village.

He said the sewage of the city will be disposed of into the trunk sewers to be installed on both sides of the nullah and transported to the treatment plant.

After getting the green signal from the provincial government, the RDA would hire a consultant and start work in January. The consultant would be given six months to complete the study.

He said the CDA had been asked to discharge the treated water into Leh Nullah from Kattarian side. The CDA has also planned to install sewage treatment plants which will help the RDA in making Leh Nullah a rainwater channel, he added.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2023