LAHORE, March 1: Heavy rainfall on Friday night and Saturday created traffic problems and added to the hardships of residents of kutcha abadis and low-lying areas in the provincial metropolis.

Roads and streets in low-lying areas were inundated following 44 to 46.5mm rainfall creating problems for residents who found it difficult to leave home for reaching their places of work, business or education. Thatched roofs of many houses in kutcha abadis started leaking due to heavy downpour on Friday night making it impossible for the residents to sleep. The sewerage system also ceased functioning in low-lying areas and sewage flowed back from the manholes.

Accumulation of rain water created traffic problems in low-lying areas. Motorists trying to adopt alternative routes created traffic jams in the adjoining areas.

The areas that were heavily flooded following the rainfall included the Lakshmi Chowk, Cooper Road, Thornton Road, Nabha Road, Neela Gumbad, Maclagan Road,Old Anarkali, Nabha Road, Chowk Nakhuda, Misri Shah, Do Moria and Ik Moria Bridge, Begum Road, Allama Iqbal Road, Dharampura Bridge, Mayo Hospital, Akbari Gate, Rehmat Ali Road, Islampura/Krishan Nagar, Firdaus Market, Gulberg and localities along the Bund Road and Mahmood Booti Band.

Storm water accumulated at Shahdara Disposal Station and was still being drained out on Saturday night. The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) had deployed six pumps for draining 11 feet of rain water. Nine, eight and 7.5 feet of storm water accumulated at Multan Road, Farrukhabad and Main Outfall Disposal Stations respectively. Three feet of storm water had to be drained out from the Gulshan-i-Ravi Disposal Station.