Slug: rawalpindi-nullah-leh-dumping-crackdown
Category: Punjab
Focus keyphrase: Nullah Leh dumping crackdown
SEO title: Nullah Leh Dumping Crackdown: WASA Task Force Formed
Meta description: Nullah Leh dumping crackdown: WASA has formed a task force with PERA to stop waste dumping in Rawalpindi. Offenders face arrest and FIRs.
Tags: Nullah Leh, Rawalpindi, WASA, waste dumping, encroachments, PERA, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, cleanliness campaign
Original element: local angle (Nullah Leh flooding history, Rawalpindi) + own data point (drain depth shrinking; August Nullah Lai alarm malfunction and heavy-rain emergency, our prior coverage)
WASA Forms Task Force to Stop Waste Dumping in Rawalpindi’s Nullah Leh
RAWALPINDI — The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has set up a dedicated task force, with support from the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) Force, to stop construction material and solid waste from being dumped into Nullah Leh.
The agency has also started clearing encroachments, goods-transport parking areas and building-material depots from both banks of the stormwater drain.
Task force to monitor the drain
WASA Managing Director Azizullah Khan said the task force would keep continuous watch on Nullah Leh, backed by the PERA Force, and act against anyone found dumping waste or construction material into it.
Khan said the agency would also move against the owners of buildings whose construction material ends up dumped in the drain, holding them responsible for debris traced back to their sites.
Arrests, FIRs and vehicle seizures
Offenders face arrest and the registration of first information reports (FIRs). Tractor-trolleys used to carry waste to the drain will be seized on the spot.
According to Khan, a goods transport depot behind Ganj Mandi Police Station has already been removed. He warned that encroachments, material depots and transport stands along the drain would no longer be tolerated.
WASA and the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) will also plant six-to-seven-foot-tall trees along the banks of Nullah Leh. Officials say the green belt will cut environmental pollution around the drain and discourage further obstruction of its banks.
Why Nullah Leh matters: a flood risk
The crackdown comes with a clear environmental warning. The depth of Nullah Leh has been shrinking fast because construction debris and solid waste keep landing in it, despite an existing ban on dumping.
That matters because the drain carries monsoon runoff through some of Rawalpindi’s most crowded neighbourhoods. When its channel narrows, floodwater has nowhere to go, and nearby streets and homes face a higher risk of flooding during heavy rain.
Rawalpindi’s residents know this risk well. In August, a malfunctioning flood-warning alarm at Nullah Lai raised fears about flood monitoring in the city. The same month, heavy rain lashed Islamabad and Rawalpindi and forced authorities to declare an emergency in the garrison city.
This year’s monsoon turned deadly fast: Punjab’s disaster management authority reported 65 dead and 382 injured during monsoon 2026. Keeping drainage channels clear is one way cities can cut that risk before the next downpour, and Pakistan’s history of recurring floods shows what failed drainage costs.
Cantonment board launches cleanliness campaign
Separately, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has launched a cleanliness and public awareness campaign across all 10 wards. The campaign started on October 20 and will run until November 5.
An awareness walk from the RCB office marked the start of the drive, led by Additional Cantonment Executive Officer Tayyaba Naseer, Assistant Secretary Imran Habib and Horticulture Officer Atiqa Nadeem.
In the first phase, on October 20 and 21, the operation is under way in Ward No 1, covering Habib Colony, Rahim Town, Allahabad, Zahid Baig Road, Hafizabad and Sultanabad. The work includes street sweeping, drain clearance, rubbish collection and weed removal, with trolleys and excavators moving waste to designated dumping points.
A complaints cell has been set up at the Cantonment Board office for residents’ grievances. Citizens can report sanitation problems by calling 051-9274422.
The sanitation push comes as Punjab has started billing 50 lakh properties for sanitation services, signalling that waste management is moving up the provincial agenda.
Original reporting: Tribune — Pindi cracks down on Leh dumping
What is the Nullah Leh task force?
It is a joint monitoring team formed by the Water and Sanitation Agency with support from the PERA Force. It will keep continuous watch on the drain and act against anyone dumping waste or construction material into it.
What penalties do dumpers face?
Offenders face arrest and FIRs. Tractor-trolleys used for dumping will be seized, and building owners whose construction material is dumped in the drain will also face action.
When does the RCB cleanliness campaign end?
The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board campaign runs from October 20 to November 5 across all 10 wards. The first phase, on October 20 and 21, covers six localities in Ward No 1.
How can cantonment residents report sanitation problems?
A complaints cell has been set up at the Cantonment Board office. Citizens can call 051-9274422 to register sanitation-related complaints.
