RAWALPINDI: In order to bring an end to chronic flooding in Leh Nullah, particularly during the monsoon season, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has completed a plan for a Rs48 million feasibility study after hiring a consultant to lay a trunk sewer in the channel from Moti Mahal to Gorakhpur on Adiala Road.

An RDA official told Dawn that the approval would be granted by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, after which a consultant would be hired to conduct a feasibility study for the trunk sewer in Leh Nullah to avoid potential floods. The official said the chief secretary had asked the authority last month to chalk up a plan for the feasibility study and send a summary to the government in this regard.

The official added that Rs48 million would be spent on the feasibility study and a consultant firm would conduct the survey of the city and prepare a report about the sewerage system in the urban areas. He said the provincial government wanted to execute this project to solve the flooding issue as soon as possible.

The divisional administration also wants to construct a road on both sides of the Leh Nullah from the Kattarian bridge to the Moti Mehal cinema. “It will take more time and money as the government will have to procure private land on both sides of the Leh Nullah for the construction of this road,” an RDA official said.

Consultant will be hired for Rs48m study to lay trunk sewer in nullah

According to the official, there was a dire need to start this project to avert the Leh flooding in the future and the trunk sewer would play a major role in this regard.

According to officials, the length of the Leh nullah from Kattarian Bridge to Soan River near the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench building is 16 kilometres and the daily discharge of wastewater is about 600 cusecs.

In the last five years, the RDA prepared two PC-I for the Leh Nullah Expressway and Flood Channel project to construct roads on both sides of the nullah and a flood channel to avoid flooding in the garrison city during the monsoon.

The Punjab Communication and Works Department finalised the feasibility study of the signal-free corridor from Kutchery Chowk to Pirwadhai Mor worth Rs8.2 billion and submitted it to the Planning and Development Department for approval.

Separately, Commissioner Aamir Khattak asked the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and RDA to make a “comprehensive plan to eliminate the encroachments” along the Leh Nullah on a permanent basis and make a proposal to construct a road on its both sides.

He said that the feasibility of the signal-free corridor had been completed, adding that Adiala Road was also being converted into a dual carriageway.

He added there was some progress on the summary for this project and the work would be completed quickly. He further said that the plantation campaign in the entire division should be completed on time and special attention should be paid to making Murree more green.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2024