RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed the twin cities early Friday morning, inundating low-lying areas. The residents, however, heaved a sigh of relief after the weather turned pleasant.

The rain started in the early morning and continued for an hour. After the brief spell, the sun overpowered the heavily overcast sky but later in the afternoon, it was cloudy again.

The Meteorological Department recorded 26mm of rain at Zero Point, 41mm in Golra, 27mm in Bokra, 12mm in Saidpur, 9mm in the airport area in Islamabad, 22mm in Chaklala, and 13mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi.

It predicted more rain in northern parts of the country, including the Potohar region during the next 24 hours. According to the Met office, the moist currents from the Bay of Bengal were penetrating most parts of the country. A westerly wave is also affecting the upper and central parts of the country.

11 injured in rain-related incident in Attock district

More rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Potohar region, northeast Punjab, east/northeast Balochistan and Sindh. Isolated heavy falls were also expected in northeast Punjab, Potohar region, Kashmir, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northeast Balochistan, and central/lower Sindh during the period.

Inundation was reported in low-lying areas of the garrison city. However, the water level in Leh Nullah remained low, according to Wasa Managing Director Mohammad Tanveer.

He said the water accumulated in some areas of the city but it drained in the morning, adding that the city was divided into four sectors and flood response units had been deployed to drain out water from the city areas.

Meanwhile, Punjab Caretaker Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare and Population Welfare Dr Jamal Nasir visited Qadeemi Qabristan, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh and Sadiqabad areas and examined the flow of water in tributaries of Leh Nullah. He directed the administration and Wasa to work on an “emergency basis” to clean all tributaries and to take strict measures to remove the illegal encroachments on the banks of the drains.

He said that the encroachments hindered the flow of water in the drains due to which the flooding was caused in these areas, endangering human life and property. He said that departmental action would be taken against the officers and officials who failed to remove encroachments and a policy of zero tolerance was being pursued. He said cases would be registered over the dumping of building materials and garbage in these drains.

Earlier, Dr Jamal Nasir presided over a meeting of the Rawalpindi District Health Authority and in-charges of all THQs, rural, and primary health centres.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that amid warning of urban flooding due to monsoon rains, all government health facilities should have adequate stock of medicines for flood-related diseases.

He said that immediate arrangements should be made to set up relief camps in the areas affected by urban flooding. He said that due to urban flooding, snake bites may also occur and apart from this, there may be concerns of diarrhoea and other stomach and skin diseases, so full preparations should be made in this regard.

On this occasion, suggestions were also discussed to improve the performance of the Rawalpindi Health Department. The caretaker minister said that he was personally making unannounced visits to the treatment centres located in remote areas and strict action will be taken against the officials and officials who are guilty of negligence.

Taxila

At least 11 people, including three teenage siblings, were injured in rain-related incidents in two different incidents in Attock district on Friday, police and rescue 1122 officials said.

In the Mohalla Karbala locality of Attock, at least four people received injuries after a portion of the house collapsed. The injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital by Rescue 1122.

In the second incident, seven passengers on board a bus were injured when the bus overturned due to rain on the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway (M-1) near the Hazro motorway interchange in the limits of Hazro Police station. The injured were shifted to different hospitals in Hazro and Attock.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2023