ISLAMABAD: The civic agency has said it will take steps to remove encroachments from the right of ways of nullahs, as heavy rains in Islamabad, which recently swept away cars and some people, have raised alarm bells for city managers.

The decision was made by CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa on Friday.

Islamabad has faced heavy rains this monsoon. Recently, Saidpur Village experienced flooding that swept away three cars and several motorcycles.

In DHA Phase 5, flooding on the road resulted in a tragic incident where a father and daughter, along with their car, drowned. In the Tarlai area, a motorcyclist also drowned. A few years ago, a woman and her child were killed during flooding in Islamabad’s E-11 when water overflowed from a squeezed nullah and entered their house.

“There is a need for proper demarcation of the nullah in E-11,” said a source. Currently, several nullahs in Islamabad are facing encroachments. The main nullah - Korang - both upstream and downstream, is facing congestion due to alleged encroachments on its right of way.

“There is a need to check Google images of Korang Nullah from the last 10 years. In the Satra Meel area, the nullah was narrowed down by the land mafia where plots were carved out. Similarly, in Bhara Kahu and Banigala, this nullah faces massive alleged illegal construction,” said an official source, adding to determine the exact right of way, the CDA and ICT Revenue Department should conduct a demarcation.

In downstream areas, there is massive encroachment on the right of way of Korang Nullah.

“There is a need for proper demarcation of this area as well by independent teams to determine whether encroachment has taken place,” the official said, adding construction had also taken place on the edge of a nullah in the Tramri area.

“It’s a very simple case. The Google image history of this nullah from the last 20 years should be reviewed, instead of solely relying on environment officials and revenue staff, as the involvement of government officials cannot be ruled out - they did not take any serious action when the construction was taking place,” said an official.

Islamabad is facing unprecedented flooding and changes in weather patterns. To avoid any major loss of life due to flooding, officials said this is the right time to take action across the board to remove encroachments from the right of way of nullahs.

“We blocked nature’s exit with construction, and it’s pushing back in the form of flooding,” said an official.

“The meeting reviewed the progress of actions taken by CDA so far against illegal encroachments in Islamabad, particularly on government lands, following the directives of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi under the supervision of the chairman CDA,” read a press release.

It stated that the CDA’s anti-encroachment drive specifically focuses on demolishing illegal encroachments on government land according to the law and reclaiming it from illegal occupants, as well as removing encroachments built over water drains (nullahs) in residential and commercial areas in accordance with the law. The meeting was briefed that the Directorate General of CDA’s Building and Housing, Enforcement Directorate, the Islamabad Administration, DMA, and MCI are working together to seal and demolish encroachments built over nullahs to save lives in the event of flooding or other emergencies.

Sealing and demolishing structures over nullahs in all sectors of Islamabad is necessary. The press release said that the chairman CDA directed that all buildings constructed over nullahs in various areas of Islamabad without a hydraulic study or CDA’s approval should be immediately sealed and declared dangerous.e emphasized that residential and commercial buildings built over drains are not only illegal but could also collapse during major flooding, as seen during the current monsoon season - Islamabad has witnessed the heaviest rainfall since 2001.

“CDA has advised the public at large, in their own interest, to voluntarily remove all encroachments built over nullahs. Otherwise, the law will take its own course of action. All residential and commercial buildings constructed over nullahs will not only be sealed after being declared dangerous, but legal action will also be initiated against those responsible for illegal encroachments - for which the encroachers themselves will bear full responsibility,” read the press release. The chairman stated that while the CDA is taking indiscriminate action against all encroachments, it has also decided to establish a permanent monitoring system to prevent re-encroachment on cleared lands.

Under this system, he said, drone footage of relevant areas will be regularly captured, and Google Earth will also be utilised for guidance and assistance. He stated that the CDA had decided to digitise the layout plan and NOC (no-objection certificate) process.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2025