Rawalpindi: CDA told not to release untreated sewage into Leh

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Aamir Yasin
RAWALPINDI: The city residents are vulnerable to floods during monsoon and epidemics, as Capital Development Authority (CDA) releases untreated sewage into Leh Nullah, said Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director (MD) Col ® Islamul Haq on Thursday.

Talking to Daily Times after inaugurating a cleanliness drive of Leh Nullah at New Kattarian, he said water flow during monsoon in Leh Nullah was recorded at 100 cusec and 90 cusec water discharged from Islamabad resulted in floods in low-lying areas of Rawalpindi.

He urged the CDA to devise a viable policy to release treated sewage into Leh Nullah to save people from flood-like situation and outbreak of epidemics. The WASA MD accused the CDA sanitary workers of dumping solid waste into the nullahs flowing in its jurisdiction.

He said the dumped wastes ultimately caused a dense sedimentation in Leh, creating problems for public and civic agencies.

Cleanliness drive: Haq said the agency would complete cleanliness drive of the nullah by June 20 at a cost of Rs 9 million. He said the WASA had installed excavators and dumpers each 12 and two dragliners at the nullah to ensure its cleanliness before the monsoon.

The nullah will be cleared of waste and sand from its 11 points of New Kattarian, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Dhoke Dalal, Kashmir Colony, Akalgarh, Dhoke Ratta, Ratta Amral, Mohanpura, City Saddar Road, Rialto Chowk and Gawalmandi, the MD said, adding, the agency had divided 11-kilometer long Leh Nullah, stretching from Kattraian to Ammar Chowk, into four sectors and the work was underway on all four sectors simultaneously.

Dredging: He said the WASA would spend Rs 81 million on a full-fledged dredging of Leh Nullah after the monsoon. He said three to four feet dredging of nullah would be carried out to remove sand and solid waste from its bed. He said the City District Government RAWALPINDI (CDGR) had approved allocation of Rs 20 million in its annual development programme for the Leh dredging before the monsoon.

CDGR body: He said the CDGR had already constituted a committee comprising representatives of CDA, JICA, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, Flood Commission, Meteorological Office and Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) to monitor cleanliness drive and dredging of the nullah. He said the committee would meet weekly and pay surprise visits to the sites.

He said the agency was using all available resources, like heavy machinery, to make the drive a success. He said the waste removal would improve flow of water in nullah. He said the Rawal Town Municipal Administration and the CDGR had served notices on people who had encroached upon the nullah banks.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_6