PESHAWAR: After days of sweltering heat, rain lashed parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday turning the weather pleasant but causing power outages, flooding of roads, and disruption of traffic in the provincial capital.

The Met Office forecast more rains in the province during the next two days.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, no damage to public life and property was reported in the province.

Rainwater entered the Bus Rapid Transit terminal in Hashtnagri area inconveniencing commuters.

“The ramp at Hashtnagri terminal is under construction, so the rainwater accumulated there,” said Mohammad Umair Khan, spokesperson for TransPeshawar, the government-owned company responsible for the BRT operations.

He, however, said the company responded without delay to drain out the water.

According to the Met Office, 31mm rainfallwas recorded in the city area of Peshawar and 8mm at the airport station.

Tarnab Farm on the outskirts of Peshawar received 48.4mm rain. Light and heavy rainfall was also reported in other parts of the province.

In Kakul area of Abbottabad, 49mm rain was recorded, while Dargai received 41mm rain.

In a statement, the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar said 25 sites were identified in the provincial capital as potential crisis points in view of the rain forecast.

It said it had established rapid response teams to drain out water.

The most affected areas in the city were Charssada Road, Bacha Khan Chowk, Gulbahar, Gulberg, Cantonment, Dalazak Road, Assembly Chowk and University Road, where traffic mess was reported for hours due to the accumulation of rainwater.

“The biggest reason for flooding of the roads and residential neighbourhoods is that the sewerage lines are narrow and unfit for the flow of water from a downpour of this magnitude,” said the WSSP in the release.

In Swabi, farmers termed the rain beneficial for the maize crop.

They said the weather had remained very warm during the last one week and the maize crop was badly needed water, so the rainfall would help increase yields.

The growers said the rainfall would also be beneficial for other crops and vegetables grown on a large scale in the district.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2021