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Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Flood warnings trigger evacuation along Nullah Leh
The water level rose to 18 feet at Nullah Leh after a heavy downpour in the twin cities on Tuesday. PHOTO: Agha Mahroz/EXPRESS As the pre-monsoon season approaches, residents and traders living near Rawalpindi's low-lying areas and along the 22-kilometre-long Nullah Leh have begun moving their belongings to safer locations. Many traders in the inner city have already emptied their warehouses and shifted goods to secure storage to avoid flood losses. Once a pristine stream fed by springs and rainfall from the Margalla Hills, Nullah Leh entered Rawalpindi at New Katarian, flowing through both city and cantonment areas before merging with the River Soan. Over 500 years ago, Mehmood Ghaznavi camped beside its banks. Aryan settlers made it their home centuries ago, and Arya Mohalla still bears their name. Until 1925, it had clean, fish-filled waters used for drinking and religious rituals. After partition, unchecked urbanisation and industrial waste transformed it into a sewage drain. Municipal records show the nullah spans 500 to 1,000 feet in width and stretches 22 kilometres, 11 km through the city and the rest through cantonment zones. Floods through the years Rawalpindi has witnessed at least seven major floods over the decades. The most devastating occurred on July 23, 2001, killing 65 people and hundreds of animals, and causing damages worth Rs7 billion. Subsequent floods in 1967, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1982, and 1986 also caused significant loss of life and property. Despite repeated pledges by successive governments, including those of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Zia, Nawaz Sharif, and Benazir Bhutto, to resolve the issue through projects like the Leh Expressway and separate sewage tunnels, no plan has been fully executed. Unfulfilled promises In 2007, the then-President General Pervez Musharraf launched the Nullah Leh project at an estimated cost of Rs17 billion. Only 25% was completed before the project was shelved in 2008. The cost has now surged beyond Rs100 billion. Every year, WASA and district officials claim to desilt the drain with a reported annual budget of Rs140 million, but locals say the results are negligible. High-risk areas According to an estimate, approximately 0.7 million residents and traders live in these flood-prone zones. The most flood-prone areas include Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Arya Mohalla, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, Chah Sultan, Raja Bazaar, and Gawalmandi, among others. These densely populated localities suffer extensive damage each year. Significance of Leh Expressway WASA Director Admin Umar Farooq claimed that desilting work on Nullah Leh and 15 associated drains has been carried out efficiently this year. Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqas Cheema said that all departments are on high alert and that the Pakistan Army's Triple-One Brigade remains on standby. However, residents such as Haji Noor Deen and Fazal Elahi remain unconvinced. They say official preparations are largely cosmetic, and the first pre-monsoon rain last Saturday already left streets submerged in up to two feet of water. Many families are once again packing up and evacuating, bracing for yet another season of flooding. Experts believe that until the Leh Expressway is constructed and a separate tunnel is built for sewage, Nullah Leh will continue to wreak havoc year after year.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Downpour debunks drainage promises
The road has become sloppy, with several inches of it submerged in layers of sewage. PHOTO: EXPRESS The second spell of heavy pre-monsoon rain on Wednesday exposed the hollow claims of the Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Rawalpindi Solid Waste Management Company (RWMC), Cantonment boards, and Rawalpindi District Council about the cleaning of Nullah Leh and 15 stormwater drains. Despite the reported expenditure of Rs140 million on desilting efforts, waterlogged streets and flooded commercial and residential areas painted a different picture. Streets and markets were submerged under up to three feet of water, causing severe damage to homes and shops. Citizens reported millions in losses as water entered buildings. WASA officials were visible only at Committee Chowk underpass, while no senior official from any agencyincluding the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, DG RDA, MD WASA, or District Council Administratorwas seen in affected low-lying areas. Rainwater and sewage remained stagnant for 4 to 6 hours, leaving a trail of mud, hospital waste, dead rodents, garbage, and fruit peels once the water receded. No personnel from the Solid Waste Management Company's 'Clean Punjab Project' were seen in the affected neighbourhoods on Wednesday. Streets turned muddy and impassable, raising health concerns. Residents in areas like Javed Colony and Nadeem Colony described how water entered their homes within three hours of rainfall starting at dawn. They were left to manually drain water using buckets. Even parked vehicles, including loaders and rickshaws, were inundated with two feet of water and had to be push-started after hours. Leaking ceilings in court buildings and on the Metro Bus track further indicated infrastructure vulnerabilities. Residents demanded an audit of the Rs. 140 million spent on cleaning Nullah Leh and storm drains, questioning why such devastating flooding occurred if the work had indeed been completed. In many inner-city areas, residents have begun temporary evacuations. Among the worst-hit locations were Nadim Colony, Javed Colony, Fazalabad, Arya Mohalla, Dhok Elahi Bakhsh, Dhok Khaba, Amarpura, Qasimabad, Mohanpura, Pirwadhai, and several neighbourhoods around Dhok Hassu, Dhok Ratta, and People's Colony. Commercial hubs like Bohar Bazaar, Lal Haveli, Moti Bazaar, and Shalley Valley also remained submerged for over three hours.
Arab News
25-06-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Heavy monsoon rains lash Islamabad, Rawalpindi, flood alert issued across Punjab
ISLAMABAD: Heavy monsoon rains lashed Pakistan's twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad early Wednesday, triggering urban flooding alerts as authorities issued warnings for continued thunderstorms across Punjab and parts of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the current weather system is expected to persist in Islamabad-Rawalpindi and surrounding areas, warning in a statement that 'urban flooding may occur… during the forecast period.' The public has been advised to take precautionary measures. By 6:30am Wednesday, over 80 millimeters of rain had already been recorded across the two cities, according to Rawalpindi's Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA). Specific rainfall totals included 52 mm in Saidpur, 66 mm in Bokra, 53 mm in Pir Wadhai, and 55 mm in Shamsabad, WASA Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf said. Ashraf saaid a rain emergency had been declared, with WASA teams deployed alongside heavy machinery in low-lying areas. 'All city drains including Nullah Lai are being monitored… at present, the water flow remains within normal levels,' he said, noting the depth of the stream at key points stood at 9 feet at Katarian and 5 feet at Gawalmandi Bridge. The PMD said the system producing the rain-thundershowers is active over Kashmir, Haripur, Abbottabad, and northeastern Punjab, and is likely to spread further across the province within the next 1–3 hours. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for Punjab, Pakistan's largest province, also confirmed the onset of the monsoon season, saying the first spell is expected to continue until July 1. A statement quoted PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia as saying: 'This year's monsoon rains are forecast to be 25 percent above normal. All district administrations have been alerted.' Storms are forecast in Murree, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Lahore, and other parts of Punjab, with a warning of possible landslides in hilly areas like Murree and Galiyat. Kathia urged citizens to 'stay indoors during storms, avoid unnecessary travel, and follow safety protocols.' The PDMA said all emergency departments, including Rescue 1122, WASA, irrigation and livestock authorities, had been placed on high alert. In case of emergency, the public has been advised to contact the PDMA helpline at 1129.
Express Tribune
24-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pindi uplift plan okayed
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has given in-principle approval to the Rawalpindi Development Plan, prioritising upgrades to the city's water supply and sewerage systems. The Water and Sanitation Agency's (WASA) managing director has been instructed to immediately prepare PC-1s for all proposed schemes. This directive was issued during a joint meeting on Monday, chaired by the Punjab Secretary for Urban Development and Public Health Engineering, Noorul Amin Mengal. Officials from the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), WASA, Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), and Public Health Engineering attended the session. The secretary emphasised the need for swift monsoon preparations and urged the early completion of the feasibility study for sourcing water from Daducha Dam to ensure a sustainable supply for Rawalpindi. He proposed building ground storage tanks in parks, following the Lahore model, to store rainwater for horticultural use, stressing that "every drop of water must be saved." The secretary housing praised WASA for exceeding its revenue recovery target, collecting Rs2.6 billion against the assigned Rs2.3 billion, and called for an even higher target in the upcoming fiscal year. WASA Managing Director, Muhammad Saleem Ashraf, shared that a comprehensive monsoon plan is already in place, including the expedited cleaning of 15 city drains and Nullah Leh. Staff training and sewer line maintenance have been completed, and five monsoon camps will be operational, backed by a central control room at WASA Headquarters. To ensure an uninterrupted water supply during summer, 20 new tube wells are being installed, and additional intake from Rawal and Khanpur dams has been secured. Ongoing dam projects will soon add 12 MGD from Chahan Dam, 5 MGD from Rawal Dam, and 8 MGD from Khanpur Dam. The feasibility for the Daducha Dam, expected to provide 35 MGD, is set to conclude within two months. During the meeting, the RDA director general gave progress updates on major projects, including the Ring Road and Nullah Leh schemes, which were highlighted for timely and transparent completion. PHA Director General, Ahmad Hassan Ranjha, also briefed the participants on citywide park beautification efforts.
Express Tribune
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Quality assurance panels to monitor projects
WASA workers pump out rainwater accumulated at Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE The Punjab Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department has established Quality Assurance Committees in all key subordinate agencies and development authorities across the province. Official sources confirmed that these committees will operate within Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASAs), Parks and Horticulture Authorities, and Development Authorities. Their primary mandate is to monitor project execution, verify adherence to technical standards, and provide consistent feedback to improve ongoing and future development schemes. Each committee will include departmental engineers, quality control officers, and administrative staff to ensure a comprehensive review of project implementation. Reports from these committees will be regularly submitted to the Housing Department's central monitoring cell for oversight and any required corrective actions. This quality control initiative follows the earlier creation of a high-level Search Committee tasked with ensuring merit-based recruitment of top positions, such as Directors General, Managing Directors, and Chief Engineers. Chaired by Housing Minister Bilal Yasin, the committee evaluates service records and seniority to ensure that appointments reflect capability and integrity. Additionally, the department has established an Internal Accountability Board, operating under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act. This board will investigate complaints of corruption and misconduct within the department and its subsidiaries, enforces internal discipline, audits compliance, and advises on policy reforms. Commenting on the department's multi-layered reforms, Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal said: "The Quality Assurance Committees are another critical step toward institutionalising excellence in public service. When combined with the Search Committee and Internal Accountability Board, we are creating a governance model rooted in merit, integrity, and public trust." He stressed the importance of responsible use of public funds, noting that billions of rupees are invested annually in housing and sanitation projects.
