Flooding season

The Lai Nullah stream passes through Rawalpindi City and joins the Sawan River near Morgah. Many water channels and underground springs around the city carry water to the Lai Nullah. Every year it floods, causing immense damage to property and livestock. Since 1945, heavy rains in every monsoon season have led to the houses near the banks of Lai Nullah on the Gawalmandi side becoming repeatedly submerged in flood water causing heavy losses to residents. The municipal committee and Wasa lack the ability or the will to take precautionary measures to avoid losses to human life and properties of citizens. Past governments have funded projects keeping Lai Nullah clean to keep flood water at bay. However, those funds seem to have gone to waste as this problem sadly continues to persist. The problem became worse as areas close to smaller water ways leading to the Lai Nullah also started experiencing flooding because of backflow. Overall, government after government has failed to rid the people of Rawalpindi of the misery of suffering from flooding in the Lai Nullah.

The current government needs to create goodwill amongst our citizens to contribute towards making our country clean and safe by the judicious and effective use of funds. I am sure that with dedication and hard work this problem and the other problems our country is facing can be fixed. The yearly damage to our homes and land is expensive in a way that we will not be able to keep up with it for much longer. The government should also look towards recompensation of households affected by flood damaging in such areas.

Raja Shafaatullah

Islamabad