RAWALPINDI: With no funds in hand, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has floated tenders for hiring a contractor to clean Leh and 11 other nullahs in the garrison city ahead of the monsoon season.

The agency has fixed May 8 as thelast date for private firms to submit their bids.

`We have planned to start the cleanliness drive by May 15, so the first round of cleanliness will be completed by June 15,` said a senior official of Wasa while talking to Dawn.

Wasa has requested the Punjab government to release Rs150 million Rs80 million for the cleanliness of Leh and Rs70 million for 11 other major nullahs, he added.

The government had sought an estimate for the cleanliness of the drains and in reply the agency sent the estimates of Rs70 million.

However, the provincial government is yet to release the funds.

Officials of the district administration said the delay in cleanliness drive of the nullahs will increase the chances of flooding in the city. Theysaid dredging of the nullahs usually takes two months.

On July 23, 2001, 620mm rain in just a few hours resulted in the worst floods in the city`s history. As many as 35 people lost their lives while many slums were swept away resulting in financial loss worth millions of rupees.

In case of heavy rains in the twin cities, the water level in Nullah Leh could increase to the 18 feet of the dangerous level and overflow to flood areas along its banks. The Nullah is full of polythene bags that adversely affect the water flow. Nullah Leh has a length of more than 22km, stretching from the federal capital to Rawalpindi. As many as 11 nullahs of the city also discharged into Leh from different areas. Leh Nullah discharges into Soan River near LahoreHigh Court`s Rawalpindi bench.

`There are 18 vulnerable points which need to be cleared before the start of monsoon season,` said a senior official of the district administration while talking to Dawn.

These vulnerable points are: Kattarian, Bangash Colony, Ziaul Haq Colony, Boring Road, Dhoke Naju, Dhoke Dalal, Pirwadhi, Dhoke Hassu, Hazara Colony, Dhoke Ratta, Gawalmandi, Dhoke Ellahi Baksh, Javed Colony, Nadeem Colony, Bakramandi, Tench Bhatta, Range Road, Sharoon Colony along Soan River.

He said officials of the civic bodies had been assigned duties to monitor the work. He said Wasa, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and RawalpindiMunicipal Corporation will be assisting in the work.

`Wasa will desilt Leh Nullah and 11 big nullahs and RWMC and RMC will clean roadside drains and all the work will be completed by June end and the district administration already has imposed a ban on dumping solid waste and construction material along nullahs and drains, he said.

The RMC and Rawalpindi Development Authority have been directed to conduct a survey in their respective areas to clear permanent encroachments along the drains before the summer season.

He said cantonment boards of Rawalpindi and Chaklala would be responsible to carry out the work along the nullah in their jurisdictions in coordination with the civicagencies.

When contacted, Wasa spokesman Umer Farooq said the Punjab government would soon release the funds, adding, `We have called tenders to clean Leh Nullah and 11 other nullahs on time.

He said a firm would be finalised by May 8 and work would be started as soon as funds are received. He said there would be no delay in the release of funds by the government.

`We are completing our homework and the cleanliness work would be completed by end of June.

Wasa already has conducted a survey of Leh Nullah and identified the points to be cleared and once we get the go-ahead signal from the government, we will speed up the work,` he said.