Relief camps established to cope with floods

Rawalpindi:Rawalpindi district administration has set up five Flood Relief Camps in different areas of the city while the officials of the departments concerned would be on duty at these camps during the Monsoon season to cope with any emergency situation during flash flooding particularly in low-lying areas near Nullah Lai.

According to a Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) spokesman, the camps have been set up at Motti Mahal, Liaquat Bagh, Bagh Sardaran, Commercial Market Satellite Town and Khayaban-e-Sir Syed. He informed that Managing Director (MD) Wasa, Saleem Ashraf, had given orders to complete the dredging and de-silting work of Nullah Leh swiftly before the first pre-monsoon rain.

Over 90 per cent of the dredging and de-silting work had been completed. Similarly, the dredging and de-silting work of 11 other major and minor Nullahs in Rawalpindi had also been completed, he said. The spokesman said that all necessary arrangements had been made in this regard.

The Managing Director had also inspected the operational preparations at Gawalmandi Bridge. He also mentioned that this year, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had predicted over 30 percent more rainfall compared to previous years. Therefore, WASA Rawalpindi had finalised its Monsoon plan for 2024, and all the necessary arrangements were being made to cope with the upcoming Monsoon season.

A rain emergency had been declared until September 15, 2024, he informed. In addition, the field offices had been established as Flood Response Units at five different places in Rawalpindi, MottiMahal, Liquat Bagh, Bagh Sardaran, Commercial Market Satellite Town, and Khyaban-e-Sir Syed. WASA''s heavy machinery, including eight sucker machines, nine jetting machines, six sewer cleaning machines, 34 de-watering sets, and 29 water bowsers, is in working condition and deployed at these Flood Response Units to give quick response during heavy rains.

The Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division, Aamir Khattak, had also directed the authorities to complete the dredging and de-silting work promptly, he said adding, section-144 to prevent the dumping of garbage and solid waste in Nullah Leh was imposed. The spokesman informed that Special Secretary Housing and Urban Development Punjab, Tayyab Fareed visited Gawalmandi area on Saturday and inspected the cleanliness work of Nullah Leh. During the visit, the Secretary also reviewed the Monsoon preparations of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi.

On the occasion, the Special Secretary said that all the departments concerned need to be alert after the recent forecast of the Meteorological Department. He said that Wasa Rawalpindi had made extensive preparations for Monsoon, including timely cleaning of major drains and sewage lines of the city along with Nulla Leh.