RAWALPINDI, Feb 27: It sounds strange but is true that the city's Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has requested the Punjab government for Rs92 million for dredging the waste-and-silt-choked Leh Nullah before the monsoon when Lahore has not released even the Rs47 million it had allocated in its 2010-11 budget for the purpose.
Sources told Dawn that the request was made because the Rs47 million kept for the task in the province's Annual Development Programme was considered not enough to desilt the 13.5-km Leh Nullah, from Kattarian Bridge to Soan River near Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench building.
Before the monsoon, Wasa plans to remove sand and solid waste from the nullah's bed.
The plan also envisions removing 'vulnerable points' – encroachments along the nullah and dumping of solid and construction in it.
Last time in 2002 the nullah was dredged, after the devastating monsoon rains in July 2001 played havoc – 35 people lost lives as the city received 620mm rain in a few hours. Many slums were washed away and properties worth millions were lost.
In the last two years, Wasa has conducted 'cleanliness drives' before the monsoon, a measure failing to save the low lying areas, especially along the nullah, from rainwater inundating homes.
Sources said the agency only removed 'obstacles' from nine points that became 'islands' because of dumping of construction material and solid waste. For smooth flow of water, they said Wasa had to dredge the whole nullah, digging it up, and clearing it of sand, and every kind of waste.
Sources said due to poor management of the authorities, 1,000 tons of garbage and construction material is thrown into the nullah daily. To make matters worse, they said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) releases untreated sewage into it.
Sources said Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) dumped construction material waste along the nullah near Rialto Cinema after demolishing a veterinary clinic of the provincial government at Committee Chowk. Similarly, the authority constructing a parking plaza near Novelty Cinema in Raja Bazaar was also dumping its waste along the nullah.
They said the nullah was replete with thousands of polythene bags, hampering water flow.
Wasa Managing Director Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed told Dawn that if the agency's Rs92 million plan gets approval, work on cleaning the whole nullah will start by the end of March.
He said the agency will have to clear the most vulnerable points in cantonment areas from Ammar Chowk to Murree Brewery as the nullah's banks had been encroached.
He said the houses in the adjoining areas mostly belonging to retired army officers have increased their lawns and shrunk the nullah's width. He feared that this bottleneck will create a flood-like situation in the area.
Mr Naseer said the agency has sought the commissioner's nod to raze the lawns. “If the commissioner allowed, the agency will widen the nullah 30 feet on both sides for smooth flow of water in monsoon.”
The other vulnerable points to be cleared before the monsoon are New Kattarian, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Dhoke Dalal, Kashmir Colony, Akalgarh, Dhoke Ratta, Ratta Amral, Mohanpura, City Saddar Road, Rialto Chowk and Gowalmandi.
He held the solid waste department of the City District Government (CDGR), and Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment boards responsible for dumping solid and construction material waste in the nullah.
He said these departments have been 'officially' told by the district coordination officer (DCO) to stop dumping solid waste in the nullah but regretted the practice continues.
About encroachment along the nullah, Chaudhry Naseer said it was the duty of Rawal Town Municipal Administration and RDA to remove them.
But District Officer Solid Waste Management Dr Mazhar Azeem denied dumping solid waste in the nullah. He said the department established three points – Mohanpura, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed and Dhoke Ratta – to stop people from dumping waste in the nullah. “Wasa should also depute men to stop this practice.”