Officials directed for all-inclusive flood plan

RAWALPINDI: The authorities concerned would prepare a comprehensive flood plan for Rawalpindi city within 15 days as special instruction in this regard has been issued while the plan will be submitted to the District Coordination Officer's office so that all the arrangements could be finalized before the start of Monsoon rains.

All the Assistant Commissioners and TMAs have also been directed to set up control rooms in their offices while District Officer Rescue 1122 has been nominated as focal person in this regard.

City District Government sources informed that in a recent meeting held here to review arrangements for Monsoon rains Managing Director WASA Raja Muhammad Shoukat informed that last year Rs 47 million funds were given for dreding and desilting of Nullah Leh while this year there was allocation of Rs 53 million but the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has not yet started work on dredging and desilting of the Nullah Leh due to non-allocation of funds by the Punjab government.

It is pertinent to mention here that WASA initiates work on desilting and dredging of the Nullah Leh in March every year to check floods during monsoon season.

However this year, it has been unable to start work. The agency had demanded of the Punjab government to allocate funds worth Rs53 million for cleaning the Nullah Leh to prevent possible floods.

According to sources, last year the Punjab government had released only Rs 47 million against the allocation of Rs92.5 million.

Due to under-payment, Wasa had been able to complete only 50% of work on desilting and dredging of Nullah Leh in 2011. During heavy rain in July last year, water had crossed the danger level. Sources said that the situation would be more alarming this year, which could be averted only if the provincial government allocates the required funds without any further delay.

As per previous practice, the work on Nullah Leh starts in March and completed till June so there is no sufficient time for preventing possible floods during heavy rains in monsoon season this year.

The residents throw away garbage into Nullah Leh resulting in hindrance in smooth flow of water.

Time is running out and a lot of work is needed to be done. The provincial government should allocate the funds in this regard so that
work could be initiated on it.

According to WASA, cleaning of Nullah Leh channels in inner parts of
the city, the work is to be done by the city district administration as
Wasa looks after only big channels.

According to District Officer Solid Waste Dr. Muzhar Azeem, the work for cleaning of small Nullah Leh channels would be started next month and will be completed before start of Monsoon rains. (APP)