RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday, inundating low-lying areas and cattle markets. The Met Office has predicted more rain in the Potohar region on Eid.

The downpour started on Monday night and continued till early Tuesday morning, varying from moderate to heavy, and raising the water level in Leh Nullah.

The Meteorological Department recorded 44mmrainat the airport, 88mm at Saidpur, 22mm at Bokra and 42mm at Golra in Islamabad region while 29mm rain was recorded in Shamsabad and 28mm in Chaklala in Rawalpindi.

According to a Met Office official, strong monsoon currents are penetrating upper and central parts of the country and are likely to persist till Wednesday while a westerly wave is also present over the northern parts.

He said rain wind-thundershower was expected in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and north Balochistan while scattered heavy falls are also expected in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir during the period.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood said water had accumulated in some areas but “we managed to clear it within an hour”. He said water level in Leh Nullah remained at 8 feet at Gawalmandi and 12 feet at Kattarian.

He said Wasa had already imposed rain emergency and deputed necessary machinery for the next three days of Eid in the low-lying areas to drain out water, adding that water had accumulated in Committee Chowk Underpass, Liaquat Bagh, Javed Colony, Sadiqabad, Satellite Town, Jamia Masjid Road and Murree Road but Wasa teams cleared all roads well in time.

He said due to dredging of Leh Nullah, water level did not increase to a dangerous level, adding that people living around the nullah had been asked not to dump offal in Leh Nullah and requested them to handover the waste to Rawalpindi Waste Management Company.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2021