Rawalpindi's Nullah Leh: A Legacy of Floods and Unfulfilled Promises

Strategic Insights -

As the pre-monsoon season approaches, residents and traders living in Rawalpindi's low-lying areas are bracing for another season of flooding. The 22-kilometre-long Nullah Leh, once a pristine stream, has become a sewage drain due to unchecked urbanisation and industrial waste. Over the decades, the city has witnessed at least seven major floods, with the most devastating one occurring in 2001, killing 65 people and causing damages worth Rs7 billion. Despite repeated promises by successive governments to resolve the issue, no plan has been fully executed, leaving the residents and traders in a state of uncertainty.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Nullah Leh, a 22-kilometre-long stream, has become a sewage drain due to unchecked urbanisation and industrial waste, affecting over 0.7 million residents and traders.
  • The most flood-prone areas include Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Arya Mohalla, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, Chah Sultan, Raja Bazaar, and Gawalmandi, among others.
  • The estimated cost of the Nullah Leh project has surged beyond Rs100 billion, while only 25% of the project was completed before it was shelved in 2008.
  • Every year, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) claims to desilt the drain with a reported annual budget of Rs140 million, but locals say the results are negligible.
  • The significance of the Leh Expressway project is emphasized by experts, who believe that its construction and a separate tunnel for sewage are crucial to preventing further flooding.
  • Residents such as Haji Noor Deen and Fazal Elahi remain unconvinced by official preparations, stating that they are largely cosmetic and have failed to address the root of the problem.

Statistics:

  • The total length of the Nullah Leh is 22 kilometres, with 11 km passing through the city and the rest through cantonment zones.
  • The estimated number of residents and traders living in flood-prone zones is 0.7 million.
  • The estimated cost of the Nullah Leh project has surged beyond Rs100 billion.
  • The reported annual budget for desilting the drain is Rs140 million.
  • At least seven major floods have occurred in Rawalpindi over the decades, with the most devastating one occurring in 2001.

Sources:

  • "Pre-monsoon season: Residents, traders migrate to safer locations" (Daily Times, [Source missing in provided text])
  • Municipal records (no date)
  • Reports from residents and traders (no date)
  • Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) records (no date)
  • Pakistan Army's Triple-One Brigade records (no date)
  • Experts' statements (no date)