RAWALPINDI: The divisional administration has asked the civic bodies to make arrangements for the monsoon season at the earliest as the Met Office has forecast 30pc above normal rain in the season starting from July till September.

A meeting, which was presided over by Commissioner Aamir Khattak, called for reviewing arrangements for monsoon. It was also attended by Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Saleem Ashraf, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company Chief Executive Officer Rana Sajid Safdar, Director Local Government Sibtain Kazmi and other officials concerned.

The commissioner said 30pc above normal rains had been predicted in the upcoming monsoon season for which preparations had to be made accordingly. In this regard, Leh Nullah and its tributaries should be cleaned as soon as possible and Section 144 fully implemented to prevent dumping of garbage in the water channel.

He further said although no one had control over natural disasters, destruction could be minimised by adopting precautionary measures.

Wasa to deploy machinery on roads, streets to clear rainwater

He said cleanliness of the 11 big streams that fell into Leh Nullah should be ensured as there was a high risk of flooding in them.

“The cleaning process of these drains should be completed soon so that there was no hurdle in the smooth flow of rainwater. Besides, to improve the sewerage system throughout the city, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company should clean the drains so that the sewerage system was clear in case of heavy rainfall,” he said.

Mr Khattak said the municipal corporation should keep the banks of Leh Nullah free from encroachment, directing the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to keep its alert system updated and inform people about the weather situation in a timely manner.

“Wasa will deploy machinery on roads and streets to clear water. Apart from this, special attention should be paid to other areas where the risk of flooding during monsoon is high. The areas include Ratta Amral, Kattarian, Tipu Road, Dhoke Naju, Gawalmandi and Ziaul Haq Colony areas,” the commissioner said.

Wasa officials, on the other hand, gave a detailed briefing regarding the cleaning of drains and said the most dangerous area of Leh Nullah was Gawalmandi where special attention was being given and the cleaning process had been ensured.

The commissioner directed that all government departments should fully cooperate with the rescue staff and Wasa in adopting pre-monsoon measures, especially the health department, to ensure the provision of adequate medical facilities to avoid any emergency situation.

Meanwhile, people suffering from scorching heat heaved a sigh of relief after rain lashed the twin cities on Sunday evening.

The temperature dropped from 41 degrees Celsius to 36 degrees Celsius in the evening.

For the last one week, mercury remained above 40 degree Celsius.

The sizzling heat had made people’s lives miserable. Due to warm weather, people mostly remained indoors in the afternoon. However, they came out on the streets and visited parks after the rain turned the weather pleasant.

The meteorological department recorded 33mm of rain at Zero Point, 6mm in Saidpur, 3mm in Golra in Islamabad whereas in Rawalpindi, 18mm of rain was recorded in Shamsabad.

However, no rain occurred in Kutchery and adjoining areas.

The met department official said the wind speed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad was recorded at 25 knotts (50km per hour).

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2024