Islamabad (Urdu Times) Islamabad was the city where one felt a sense of pleasantness the moment one entered. Colorful flowers lined every boulevard, lush green trees and beautiful vines swayed. The Margalla Hills, natural streams, and dense forests gave the city the appearance of a valley. The residents here did not even fear continuous rains lasting a week. Water naturally flowed away, roads did not get blocked, and there was no fear of water accumulating in villages or urban settlements.Today’s Islamabad is merely a web of roads, plots, and concrete. Trees have been cut down, low-lying pathways have been blocked, and the width of natural nullahs has been reduced. Now even a little rain submerges Islamabad. The recent rains of September 2026 have once again proved that this is not a natural disaster, but the result of planning failure and administrative negligence.Experts and reports clearly show that the roots of this destruction run deep. Islamabad’s original master plan was designed keeping natural slopes and water flow in mind. But in the 1990s, Zone 4 was converted from a green area into a residential area. Housing societies encroached on the nullahs, reduced their width from forty feet to eighteen feet, and in some places even covered the nullahs with CDA’s permission. In areas like E-11, D-12, Saidpur, and Ghauri Town, these same nullahs have now become obstacles. Comparisons of satellite images from 2005 to 2026 show that the course of the nullahs was changed and constructions were carried out on the land.Tree cutting is another major reason. According to Global Forest Watch, from 2001 to 2025 Islamabad lost fourteen hectares of tree cover. In recent years, thousands of trees have been cut down, some in the name of paper mulberry, some in the name of infrastructure and roads. WWF Pakistan has also said that the cutting is not limited only to allergy-causing trees, but is also linked to development projects. The result is that water is not absorbed into the ground, the flow becomes rapid, and the city becomes vulnerable to flooding.What strategy are the senior officers of the CDA adopting in this regard? Before every monsoon, emergency plans are issued, claims of cleaning nullahs are made, dewatering machines are deployed, and helpline numbers are issued. Announcements are also repeatedly made about building check dams, making rainwater harvesting mandatory, and constructing new nullahs. But the real problem remains as it is. Operations to remove encroachments on nullahs start late, violations of the master plan continue to be ignored, and in the name of new settlements, green areas are being further eliminated.The reality is that CDA officers have turned Islamabad into a “money-making machine.” Plot prices touch the sky, while the natural drainage system, trees, and environmental balance have been sacrificed. Experts say that in fifteen to twenty years, bureaucratic and political decisions have turned this beautiful city into a concrete jungle. In the old Islamabad, rain was a blessing; today it has become a curse.The question is., How long will we rely only on temporary measures? Why is the original width of the nullahs not restored? Why is there no permanent action against illegal constructions? Why is real and sustainable tree plantation not seen in place of tree cutting? And most importantly, why are those responsible for master plan violations not held accountable?Islamabad can still be saved, provided the senior officers of the CDA adopt a real strategy. Mere statements and emergency plans are not enough. Natural nullahs should be freed, trees should be protected, unplanned constructions should be stopped, and the environment should be given priority over development. Otherwise, this beautiful valley will completely turn into a web of roads and water, and future generations will only be able to hear in stories how green and pleasant Islamabad once was.This is not today’s Islamabad,.it is tomorrow’s threat. The time has come for those responsible to admit their failure and work on real solutions.