Dirty drains and Pindi’s municipal bodies

Rawalpindi : Notwithstanding the municipal body’s pledge of wide-ranging planning for the approaching rainy period, the nullahs in many localities of Rawalpindi city stand sadly ignored.

“The municipal bodies employ service providers to eliminate wastes from main and small nullahs in the city to avoid flooding, nevertheless municipal bodies continue to tolerate criticism over polluted nullahs,” says Nade Ali from Tipu Road.

“No one checks the bottom cleaning of nullahs and asks municipal authorities to observe the development of bottom cleaning work carried out by service providers. If the task is not being done as per principles, the service providers should be punished,” says Hamid Hussain from Dhoke Khabba.

“City residents should register their grievances concerning filthy nullahs on the municipal helpline to make sure they get cleaned before the arrival of the wet spell,” says Mohsin Naqvi, an employee of the municipal body. “In numerous localities, the nullah has been roofed, but garbage continues to be thrown from broken covers in the nullah. The buildup of banned plastic bags and other garbage materials is causing stumbling blocks and hindrances in the nullah,” says, Mureed Hasan from Saidpur Road.

“I stress the significance of averting flooding in the neighbouring regions and scrubbing the nullah before the start of the drizzling period,” says Aziz Ali, a resident of Sultanpura.

“I request the municipal body to take prompt initiative in scrubbing the nullah, as a huge amount of garbage has gathered in the nullah. In addition, the municipal body must hold those responsible for placing solid waste into the nullah answerable for their actions,” adds Ansar Zaidi from Teli Mohallah.

“There is no warning to the people who unfailingly throw waste. A huge amount of trash has accumulated at various points in the nullah. It appears that by removing plastic bags from the nullah, a truck can be filled,” says Farhad Alvi from Aria Mohallah. “The nullah running through my locality has become a dumping ground for a huge amount of garbage. A considerable amount of trash has accumulated at various points in the nullah. With the rainy season approaching, the civic body must take steps to clean the nullah as soon as possible,” says Shameer Ali living in Fazal Town Phase-I.

“During rainfall, the Shah Khalid Colony nullah redirects water to our area, causing flooding in front of houses. Residents and shopkeepers are now expressing apprehension that if the nullah is not promptly cleared, the risk of overflow or waterlogging in surrounding areas cannot be ignored,” adds Shameer. Shabeeh Hasan says, “There is also no check on shops that dispose of waste into the nullahs.