Punjab housing secretary visits Nullah Leh, reviews dredging work

Rawalpindi

On special directions of Punjab chief minister, Secretary Housing Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department Captain (r) Muhammad Khurram Agha visited Rawalpindi for inspection of arrangements being made by Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) during anticipated upcoming heavy rains in the current monsoon season in Rawalpindi.

Additional District Collector Rawalpindi Muhammad Arif Rahim and Chief Engineer PHE . Saleem Raza also accompanied him during the visit. Wasa MD Raja Shaukat Mahmood while briefing told that 90 per cent dredging / desilting of Nullah Leh has been completed and work on upstream of Ganjmandi Bridge is in progress which will be completed during this week.

This year Wasa has dredged out more than 400,000 (four lakh) cubic feet solid waste from Nullah Leh which has been transported to the landfill site at Losar Road, he told.

Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mahmood added that Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) has issued heavy rainfall warning during current monsoon season and to cope with the anticipated flood situation Wasa has cancelled leave of all field staff and machinery / equipment will remain on high alert up till September 30, 2016. He also briefed about the establishment of Flood Response Units which are made functional at four different places in Rawalpindi at Moti Mahal, Liquat Bagh, Bagh Sardaran and Khyaban-e-Sir Syed. Heavy machinery of Wasa including Sucker Machines, Jetting Machines, Sewer Cleaning Rodding Machines, Dewatering sets and water bowzers are in working condition and deployed at these Flood Response Units. He also said that more than 80% flood water is coming from Islamabad Catchment area through four major tributaries in Nullah Leh and 11 small nullahs are also terminating in Nullah Leh from Rawal City.

Secretary Housing visited Nullah Leh right from Katarian Bridge to Gawalmandi Bridge and inspected ongoing as well as completed dredging work. He visited CDGR Central Flood Warning Control Room at TMA Rawal Town and also inspected machinery and equipment of Wasa at Liaquat Bagh.

In the end he directed Wasa managing director to speed up the remaining cleaning work of Nullah Leh and remain alert during the rainy season. Secretary Housing Punjab emphasised that third party validation of Nullah Leh dredging / desilting work should be completed in next two weeks and report should be submitted to the government on time. He also said that all possible resources should be made available to the people during any flood situation. “Wasa should work in close coordination with CDGR and other allied departments. In this regard any negligence will not be tolerated at all,” he added.