ISLAMABAD   -  The Capital Development Authority officers claimed that there is no potential threat of urban flooding to sectoral areas of the capital up to 600mm rain as the existing water channels are capable to provide smooth flow to flood water.   

In recent rains, the civic body remained under criticism as pictures and videos showing flooded roads were circulating on social media, which raised questions about the drainage system of the Islamabad.

However, when contacted to know the exact situation, a Deputy Director of the CDA, Ali Ashgar, who was deputed to brief on the issue by Director Road Maintenance Omer Sagheer informed that there is no potential threat of urban flooding to the sectoral areas of the capital city up to 600mm rain. 

He said the highest ever rain reported was 620mm in July 2001 but our system handled the situation successfully. He said as per our estimation, the system is capable to smoothly cater to water flow up to 600mm of rain.

He, however, explained that the city will remain out of danger even in case of more rainfall than 600mm as water level in Islamabad normalises soon after the rain ends unlike some other parts of the country. 

Informing about the flooding on Srinagar Highway near Peshawar Morr interchange in recent days, he said that there is an issue of small culvert that creates bottleneck in heavy rains and water comes over the road. He said this issue has been pointed out and hopefully resolved in coming days.    

Meanwhile, talking to this scribe, Director Road Maintenance Omer Sagheer said that the authority should be given credit that we reached on the blockage points on time and cleared the whole city from rain water within 10-15 minutes.

Earlier, on the directions of incumbent Chairman CDA, the authority has started stone pitching and sloping of nullahs running down from Margallas and crisscrossing Islamabad, eventually falling in Rawal Lake, Korang Nullah, Nullah Leh and Soan River. 

The main purpose of this stone pitching of watercourses and slopes running through the capital is to clear the passage by removing garbage and solid waste for uninterrupted flow of water and improve the quality of water as well.

Deputy Director Ali Ashgar informed that the stone pitching at 54 points has been completed so far that includes upstream and down streams of the nullahs. When questioned, he informed that about Rs2-3 million have been spent on the stone pitching of each point.   

He said the stone pitching is providing free flow of water during rainfall and also these stone pitched patches in the watercourses are naturally capturing and dissolving the sediments and solid pollutants like we have seen in the rivers and streams running down the hilly and mountainous areas.

The whole stone pitching project has been launched at various strategic locations all over the capital. These sites are located on Sohni Road and Korang Road in sector I-10, street no. 32 in sector I-9, street no. 11 in sector I-8/1, Faiz Ahmed Faid road and Service Road south in sector H-8, Soharwardy Road in G-6/4, Hakeem Luqman road in G-6/2, G-6/3, School Road, Hill Road in F-6, Embassy Road in F-6/4 and G-6/4, Service Road west in F-6/2, Parbat Road in F-7/3 and street 56 in F-7/4, Khayaban-e-Iqbal F-8/2, Kaghan Road F-8, street no 3 F-10/3, Chaman Road G-8, Service Road South G-8, Farooqia Market F-6/1, street no 34 F-6/1, Service Road South G-9, Service Road East G-11/4, Service Road East G-11/3, Service Road West G-10/1, Nazimudin Road F-11, Service Road West G-10/2, street no 94 G-11/3 and street no 58 G-11/2.