Govt green-lights Leh project feasibility study
Pakistan Army soldiers are deployed at Nullah Leh for rescue purposes after the water level crossed 19 feet after heavy rains on Friday. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE
The Punjab government has approved the long-awaited feasibility study for the Nullah Leh project, aimed at resolving Rawalpindi's chronic open sewage and flood-related issues.
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has invited expressions of interest from expert firms for the feasibility study and detailed design, with a budget allocation of Rs41.260 million.
The project, pending for over three decades, aims to mitigate monsoon flooding and environmental pollution while establishing an alternative traffic route between the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The Punjab cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, has renamed the project as the "Feasibility Study and Detailed Design of Leh Nullah Project."
The feasibility study is expected to be completed within six months. The new plan includes a sewage trunk system, a flood channel, and a new traffic corridor between the twin cities.
The open sewage currently flowing into Leh Nala will be redirected into large trunk sewers leading to a sewage treatment plant (STP) near Gorakhpur, while the nala itself will be reserved solely for rainwater drainage.
According to Chief Engineer RDA, Muhammad Anwar Baran, interested firms have been invited to submit their proposals, and a qualified consultant will be selected to complete the study within six months.
Once finalised, the project will proceed to the contract awarding phase, with construction expected to commence afterward.
The Leh Nullah project was initially launched in 2007 but was halted after the 2008 elections. The Punjab government now aims to revive it with an improved scope to address Rawalpindi's environmental and urban infrastructure challenges.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Azma lauds CM's policies: Green herbs available to public at affordable prices
LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said that for the first time in Punjab's history, green herbs are available to the public at affordable prices ahead of Eid-ul-Adha. She said this is a practical example of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's pro-people policies and good governance. According to Bokhari, the Chief Minister ensured that there was no increase in the prices of essential commodities before Eid, nor was there any shortage in the markets. 'This is the first time a Chief Minister has personally monitored the situation round the clock to control prices and activate the market mechanism,' she said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
FCCI urges govt to protect environment
FAISALABAD: 'Environment Protection has emerged as one of the most critical issues after economy and defence and government in collaboration with the private sector must play pivotal role to save the environment on a sustained basis,' said Rehan Naseem Bharara, President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI). Addressing a function on World Environment Day, he appreciated the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz and Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, and said that tangible results could be achieved to reduce and ultimately eliminate the excessive use of plastic in the province. The topic of the seminar was 'Zero Plastic, Zero Pollution'. He lauded the environment-related legislation and said that implementation on it is equally important to protect this only known living planet for coming generations. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Panel postpones RDA scam hearing
The meeting of the special committee formed by the Punjab Chief Secretary to investigate the Rs1.94 billion corruption scandal in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) failed to be held in Lahore on Thursday. The Director-General of RDA, along with a Deputy Director and an Assistant Director, who had travelled to Lahore for the meeting, were informed about rescheduling of the meeting on June 11. Meanwhile, NAB has intensified its probe into the financial scandal and conducted a raid at the residence of the late Deputy Director. The special committee, comprising DMG officers, had summoned RDA's Director-General Kinza Murtaza, Deputy Director Iftikhar Janjua, and Assistant Director Waqar Asghar Raja to Lahore for a review of records. However, upon their arrival, they were informed that one committee member was unavailable, leading to the postponement of the hearing until June 11. Surprisingly, despite the ongoing investigation, only one retired officer from the approximately dozen former Directors General and Directors of Administration and Finance of RDA, who served between 2016 and 2024/25, has been summoned. Some of these officers have retired, while others hold key positions in Punjab.
