Nullah Leh reduced to a dumping ground

Rawalpindi:Once a key preventer of floods in the area, the Nullah Leh has declined in recent years due to encroachment, debris, and sewage dumping. Dirt, highly acidic black water, and a pungent smell are the descriptions of Nullah Leh given by the residents living along it.

“Memories of the past floods haunt many citizens to the day. However, for residents living along Nullah, similar instances of flooding play out each year as the rains arrive,” says Zaman Mehdi. “Over the years, encroachments due to rapid urbanization, absence of regular desilting and clean-up drives in the Nullah has resulted in flooding in the nearby areas, both during the heavy monsoon season and even during the occasional instances of rain before the monsoon period,” says Kamal Naqvi.

“If it rains continuously for three to four hours, the Nullah overflows, and the rainwater mixed with the black sewage enters our houses even during rains. While parts of the Nullah are cleaned in bits and pieces, there have been no steps taken to clean the whole stretch,” says Mazhar Hussain. “Construction waste in large quantities is dumped into the Nullah, several appeals made by the residents in this regard only provided temporary solutions. How will the rainwater flow through the Nullah if heaps of construction waste stand in its way? Dumping of construction debris has been a major issue for the Nullah,” says Mohsin Ali.

“I run makeshift snacks stall in my area; the unsanitary condition of the Nullah has a major effect. For me, the cost of it is not only physical or health-related but also financial. If I get sick with a fever even for a day, I lose an approximate sum of my daily earnings. In addition to this, I also have to spend on medicines, doctor’s fees, and food for my family,” says Shabbar Rizvi.

“What is the right time to carry out desilting works? We could test the efficacy of desilting during early rainy days. It will help in better management during the monsoon,” says Shah Alam.“If the Nullah is not desilted, mosquito menace becomes widespread following the rains and lead to outbreaks of Malaria, Dengue, and other such infections,” says Nargis Mohib.

“While desilting may be an all-inclusive solution for the issue of blockage of the Nullah, consideration of specific conditions of the Nullah is necessary to come up with a comprehensive solution. The width of the Nullah has shrunk over the years due to encroachments. Many buildings have been built up on the Nullah,” says Ikram Haider.

Saleem Reza says, “During the floods, Leh Nullah reaches its maximum capacity. The water from residential areas along the stretch of the Nulah cannot enter into it because of household waste alongside the Nullah. This leads to flooding in residential areas.”