CDA starts stone pitching of nullahs

Islamabad : The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has launched the work on stone pitching and sloping of nullahs running down from Margallas and crisscrossing Islamabad, eventually falling in Rawal Lake, Korang Nullah, Nullah Leh and Soan River.

These natural nullahs and streams, which once used to be the most beautiful part of the federal capital, over the years have become highly polluted because people and even the CDA itself has opened sever lines into these nullahs streams.

In addition to opening of sever lines in these natural watercourses, people have been freely dumping solid waste in those and there are heaps of plastic bags and other non-decomposable materials, especially the waste construction material in particular.

Because of the dumping of this waste and garbage these nullahs and streams got chocked at various points and cause serious problems, especially during monsoon season or any heavy rain spell.

Director Public Relations of CDA, Asif Ali, said that the initiative has been taken on the directions of the Chairman and Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, Amir Ali Ahmed, who has ordered completion of the work expeditiously before the monsoon rains start.

The Director Market & Road Maintenance and Machinery Pool Organisation, Omer Sagheer, said that the main purpose of this stone pitching of watercourses and slopes running through the federal capital is to clear the passage by removing garbage and solid waste for uninterrupted flow of water and improve the quality of water as well.

He said that this pitching of watercourses in Islamabad is probably the first in the country. The stone pitched patches in the watercourses will naturally capture and dissolve the sediments and solid pollutants like we have seen in the rivers and streams running down the hilly and mountainous areas.

“The CDA is already working on creating wetlands at strategic points all over the city and the results achieved so far from those wetlands are amazing. The quality of water flowing through these wetlands has improved to a great extent and one can easily monitor it simply by looking at the color of water,” the CDA Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed had said after the success of first wetland project that was launched sometime back near Bari Imam.

The Assistant Commissioner (Rural) Zukhruf Fida Malik, also is working on a wetland project and clearing the water course of Korang river at strategic points in Islamabad.

Omer Sagheer, who is carrying out the stone pitching of watercourses, said that normal stone and small rocks have been used to pitch the strategic points.

“This would be a onetime project which will help the sanitary workers in future to easily access the beds of these nullahs to remove any obstructions in future. Besides, with the quality of water improved the obnoxious odors emitting out of these nullahs will also subside largely, making lives of those living closer to those comfortable,” Omer Sagheer said.

He said that the whole stone pitching project has been launched at various strategic locations all over the federal capital. These sites are located on Sohni Road and Korang Road in sector I-10, Street no. 32 in sector I-9, Street no. 11 in Sector I-8/1, Faiz Ahmed Faid road and Service Road south in sector H-8, Soharwardy Road in G-6/4, Hakeem Luqman road in G-6/2, G-6/3, School Road, Hill Road in F-6, Embassy Road in F-6/4 and G-6/4, Service Road west in F-6/2, Parbat Road in F-7/3 and Street 56 in F-7/4, Khayabane Iqbal F-8/2, Kaghan Road F-8, St 3 F-10/3,

Chaman Road G-8, Service Road South G-8, Farooqia Market F-6/1, Street 34 F-6/1, Service Road South G-9, Service Road East G-11/4, Service Road East G-11/3, Service Road West G-10/1, Nazimudin Road F-11, Service Road West G-10/2, Street 94 G-11/3 and Street 58 G 11/2.