RAWALPINDI: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Wednesday visited various areas of the city to inspect arrangements finalised by the administration to cope with any emergency situation after heavy downpours.
Talking to the media, Sheikh Rashid He informed that troops had also been deployed in federal capital particularly in areas adjacent to the stormwater drains.
The minister said that the administration including Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, Rescue-1122, Police, Army troops and other departments concerned were on high alert to deal with any situation particularly in low lying areas of the city.
“Although, the downpour has decreased but, the administration is fully alert,” he said adding, in case of emergency, all available resources would be utilized to help and facilitate the citizens.
He informed that the government will launch Nullah Lai project within 90 days as Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar had chaired meetings on the project and directed the authorities concerned to decrease the construction cost of the project as low as possible.
He said the government wanted to launch the project as soon as possible to permanently resolve the issue and save precious lives and properties of the citizens.
The minister said the living standards of the residents of the localities adjacent to Nullah Leh would be uplifted as the areas would be declared commercial and the residents would be allowed to construct multi-story buildings along the Leh Expressway.
The Nullah Lai project could not be launched during last 20 years and when the project was conceived, its construction cost was RS 26 billion which had reached Rs90 billion, he added.
Commissisoner Rawalpindi Division, Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah, Deputy Commissioner, Rawalpindi Amir Attique Khan and other officers were present on the occasion.
Commissioner Rawalpindi informed that all the machinery of WASA had been mobilized and deployed in low lying areas. He directed the authorities concerned to keep the alert system updated and timely apprise the citizens about all the situation.
He directed the MD WASA to clear roads and streets and remove stagnant rain water from all the areas within the shortest possible time frame. The commissioner directed the officers to focus low lying areas particularly of Ratta Amral,
