PESHAWAR: Heavy rains damaged mud houses, disrupted electric supply and triggered floods in canals in Charsadda and Peshawar on Wednesday night and Thursday.

The relevant officials told Dawn that nine houses collapsed in different areas of Charsadda district, while the rainwater caused partial damage to a large number of residential quarters. The rainwater entered houses and commercial areas.

Over 2,000 chickens died when the structure of a poultry farm collapsed in Said Kareem Kali area.

Strong winds uprooted trees, which damaged power transmission lines in Tangi tehsil. Electric supply to the area wasn’t restored by 8pm on Thursday.

Deputy commissioner Tahir Zafar Abbasi told reporters that relief activities had been launched in rain-hit areas of Charsadda, while tents and other essential items had been provided to the calamity victims.

He said machinery had been dispatched and that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority would be requested to compensate the people for damages.

Volunteers of relief organisations also distributed relief goods among the calamity-affected people.

The people of Peshawar, too, suffered from heavy rain. The bad weather caused the prolonged power breakdown in several localities.

The local Met Office said 44 millimeters rainfall was recorded in Peshawar.

It added that Malam Jabba area of Swat district received 33mm rain, Abbottabad 17mm, Charat 32mm and Dera Ismail Khan 21mm.

Though the downpour brought the temperatures down, the rainwater inundated roads, streets and low-lying areas.

The water also entered houses causing partial damage to the premises. It inundated the basement of the Peshawar Press Club and damaging the utility store opened there.

Things were terrible on the University Road due to the reconstruction of roadside drains. The rainwater and sewage left behind black sticky slush to the misery of road users.

Several feet water accumulated in the basement of Chowk Yadgar in the old city, while embankment of the Yaka Tooth canal collapsed. The gushing water swept a transformer away.

The rainwater entered houses in Gulberg, Kohati and other localities.

Khar correspondent adds: The political administration of Bajaur Agency on Thursday launched a survey to assess the damage caused by the Wednesday rains and floods to public property in different areas of the region.

The decision to begin the assessment was made during a meeting here.

The relevant officials briefed the political agent about the damage caused to the government and people’s property.

They said Warh Mamond area was worst hit by the rains and floods and that initial reports suggested that 77 houses, seven shops, a mosque, a small bridge and several link roads had been damaged.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2017