ISLAMABAD: The Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) has cleansed multiple nullahs of the federal capital to prevent urban flooding in the fast-approaching monsoon season.
“In the wake of monsoon, we have launched a ‘Nullah Cleansing’ drive under the ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ campaign to remove waste and blockades from the natural streams in phases,” MCI Director Sanitation Sardar Khan Zimri told APP.
In the first phase of the drive, he said the sanitation department conducted a survey to analyze situation of the city’s nullahs. So far, the sanitary workers had removed major blockades such as fallen trees, green waste and big stones from 20 streams, located at various sectors including F-6, F-7,F-10, F-11, G-10 and others.
“The drive has entered into second phase under which minor streams will be cleansed,” he added.
The director said the department had set a target of cleaning the streams before the monsoon. Rest of the nullahs would be clears shortly, he added.
To a query, he said the smart lockdowns, imposed in the capital city to stem the coronavirus spread, had provided an ample opportunity to the MCI Sanitation Wing to utilize its several workers in making the drive successful.
Zimri said the garbage generation in commercial areas had declined due to closure of shops on weekend and imposition of smart lockdowns at different areas in the view of coronavirus. “The situation enables us to depute our staff for nullahs’ cleansing after disengaging them from the commercial areas,” he added.
Under the drive, he said, politicians, civil society and students were being engaged to discourage the citizens from polluting the natural streams. “The people, living on the banks of nullahs, are major source of pollution in those streams.”
To another query, he said dumpsters had been placed in slums and their residents were being educated on regular basis to prevent littering in nullahs.

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