July 25, 2006	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 28, 1427

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RAWALPINDI, July 24: At least seven people were killed and one went missing in Rawalpindi after torrential rains flooded low- lying areas of the city on Monday. Panic gripped the people living along the Leh Nullah as the flood waters broke its banks at places and entered their houses. Many were seen abandoning their houses as the water rose by the hour.

“I had to flee my house because more water gushed in than I could drain out,” Arshad Jamal, a resident of Arya Mohalla, told Dawn.

Visibly shaken by the experience, he planned to move to a place as far away as possible from “the cursed nullah”.

Residents of other localities of the garrison city fared no better as long choked drains turned their streets and lanes into small rivers. The scenes were reminiscent of the misery the first monsoon downpour had brought to the city on July 13.

But all that Executive District Officer, Municipal Services, Iftikhar Shalwani could say about the promise he had made after the previous downpour to get the drains cleaned, was: “It is the will of Allah. Nobody can avert the havoc”.

District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas told a private television channel that citizens had been warned about the rising waters in the Leh by blowing sirens.

The nazim assured that his administration was alert to the situation and the relief camps it has set up were well stocked with food and medicines.

Commander 10 Corps Lt-Gen Salahuddin Satti, Commander 111 Brigade, Brig Alam Bajwa, Commanding Officer 55 Punjab Regiment, Lt-Col Tanvir Sindho, DCO Rawalpindi Hamid Ali Khan, District Police Officer (DPO) Saud Aziz and other senior army officers toured the worst affected localities and ordered the jawans of the 55 Punjab Regiment to help in the rescue work.

According to official sources, Mohammad Omer, 13, was swept away in Muslim Colony Pirwadhai. Muhammad Wasim, 17, drowned while catching his households from the flash floods in Mehr Colony, Pirwadhai. Nazakat Ali also drowned in the same locality but was rescued by some youngmen and shifted to the Rawalpindi District Headquarters Hospital.

Similarly, Pervez Shah, 45, was crossing a bridge over Leh in Ganjmandi area when he slipped into the water. His body was fished out by divers and handed over to his family. Pervez was a labourer and belonging to Abbottabad.

Mohammad Waqar, 15, was swept away by the rain water in a nullah in Jhanda Chichi while Abidullah drowned in a nullah in People’s Colony.

An unidentified person drowned in Hazara Colony.

The rain which started on Sunday night continued till 10am Monday. The water level in Nullah Leh rose to 22 feet and water gushed in the adjacent houses and shops.

Amanat Ali, an airforce employee, drowned in Korang Nullah.

Though it rained twice as much in Islamabad (200mm) on Monday as in Rawalpindi (100mm), the federal capital escaped such havoc because of its better planning.

However, at least half a dozen international and domestic flights coming to Islamabad airport had to be diverted to Lahore because of the heavy rain.

PIA’s PK-786 coming from London, PK-702 from Manchester and PK-792 from Birmingham could not land at Islamabad Airport and were diverted to Lahore.

Similarly PIA’s PK-300 coming from Karachi was also diverted to Lahore.

While two flights of a private airlines, Air Blue, 206 and 200 coming from Karachi were also diverted to Lahore.

Met office has predicted more rains in the next three days. Islamabad has received 532mm of rain so far this month, twice the normal rainfall for July.

The rain started early Monday morning and continued unabated till 10am, inundating most of the low-lying areas of Rawalpindi.

APP adds: The worst-affected areas are Pirwadahi, Fauji Colony, Nadeem Colony, Mazharabad, Gunjmandi, Gowalmandi, Sadiqabad, Liaquat Bagh, Amarpura, Khayaban Sir Syed, Purana Qila, Mohanpura, Javed Colony, Jhanda Chichi, Dhoke Khaba, Tench Bhatta and Dhoke Elahi Bukhsh. Valuable goods including electric appliances and carpets, furniture were damaged by the gushing water that entered into shops and houses.

Major roads including Murree Road, Rawal Road, Saidpur Road, Imambargah Road, Tipu Road and Zafarul Haq Road were also flooded, causing vehicles breakdown and causing traffic jams.

Contingents of Army, Civil Defence, police and volunteers evacuated many people from Nadeem and Javed colonies by boats.

Meanwhile traders in Moti Bazaar, one of the busiest trade centre in Rawalpindi is facing enormous problems on account of stagnant water.