PESHAWAR: With rain lashing large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, more than 200 people were evacuated from low-lying areas of the provincial capital after the Budhni nullah burst its banks.

The irrigation department also warned that floodwater from Afghanistan were about to enter Pakistan anytime soon.

In a statement, the department said that heavy rains deluged several Afghan tributaries and triggered heavy flooding in the River Kabul.

It warned that high flood could not only affect Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera but also hit areas downstream of Attock.

Spokesperson for Rescue 1122 Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn that more than 200 people had been rescued from Sardar Colony along Budhni nullah.

Irrigation dept warns floodwater from Afghanistan set to enter Pakistan

He also said that Rescue 1122 had deployed workers in Mian Gujjar, DHA, Warsak Road, Nasir Bagh and other areas of the city where the entry of floodwater was feared.

“We’ve been carrying out dewatering operations in Peshawar’s Shaheen Housing Society, Warsak Road, Budhni Bridge, Sardar Colony, Board Bazaar, Bara Bridge and other areassince last night,” he said.

Mr Faizi said Rescue 1122 had also set up 18 temporary water rescue camps in parts of the province besides the deployment of 177 rescuers and 41 vehicles along with life jackets, boats and other emergency equipment.

The irrigation department said that the Budhni nullah had recorded high flooding at the Darmangi point where13,886 cusecs of water discharge was recorded.

The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) said that heavy rains which had been continuing since Monday night had resulted in the tripping of its 170 feeders.

In a statement, the power utility said that its workers had restored electric supply at 58 affected feeders across the province, while work on the remaining 122 feeders was under way.

It said that its field workers were facing difficulty in restoring electricity due to rain.

Upper parts of Hazara Division also received heavy rain on Tuesday.

The rain, which started last week, continued to lash Mansehra, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts intermittently throughout the day.

The roads connecting dozens of villages with main highways in upper parts of the division were blocked due to landslides.

Residents of Torghar complained that roads blocked during the previous spell of rainfall had yet not been cleared, to the misery of travellers.

They also demanded that the government take immediate steps to clear all blocked roads in the district.

Similarly, torrential rains lashed Lower and Upper Dir districts, causing a sharp rise in the water level of the Panjkora River and creating a flood-like situation in parts of the district.

Residents said a protective embankment along the river, opposite to the district jail in Timergara, was damaged and partially collapsed due to water flow.

Relentless torrential rains also battered Mohmand tribal district, unleashing flash floods in seasonal streams, damaging infrastructure and disrupting life.

The overnight downpour, accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning, caused a sharp rise in water levels in local nullahs, while inflows at the Abdul Shakoor Dam near district headquarters Ghalanai surged to dangerous levels, sending floodwater coursing through low-lying localities.

A key road at Ekkaghund near Babi Mohmand area was blocked after a large tree fell onto it, while in Karapa, the main Peshawar-Bajaur Road, landsliding brought mud and rocks onto the roadway, hampering traffic flow and isolating some areas.

Heavy rainfall that began on Monday night and continued until Tuesday night triggered landslides in several areas of Swat, blocking roads and disrupting traffic, officials said.

According to Rescue 1122, torrential rain water flooded a canal in the Manyar area late Monday night, blocking the GT Road and suspending traffic flow between Peshawar, Islamabad, Swat and other parts of the country.

In a separate incident, a road in the Gabin Jabba Koz Lalko area of Upper Swat was completely blocked by a landslide caused by the ongoing rains.

Rescue 1122 officials said the Swat Control Room immediately dispatched a disaster response team to the site. Using heavy machinery, including tractors, the team cleared the debris and restored the road to traffic.

The fresh spell of heavy rainfall brought life to a standstill in Bajaur tribal district, collapsing several houses and washing away three vehicles.

However, according to Rescue 1122 officials and residents, no loss of life was reported in rain-related incidents.

The relentless rainfall that began early on Tuesday caused the collapse of at least four houses in the Khar, Mamund and Salarzai tehsils by Tuesday night, according to an official of Rescue 1122 Khar station.

He, however, told Dawn that no loss of life was reported in those incidents.

The official said that flash flooding also washed away three vehicles in the Mandal River and Wadigram Nullah in Salarzai tehsil and the Shandi area of Khar tehsil. The vehicles were recovered afterwards.

In Charsadda district, heavy rains severely disrupted life, with streets and roads inundated and drainage systems choked in several localities.

The Mardan Road in particular turned into a virtual pond, causing difficulties for commuters, while standing crops, especially wheat, face potential damage, to the worry of farmers.

A flood-like situation emerged in Subhan Khwar nullah in Shabqadar tehsil, with the water level surging to 16,000 cusecs. Floodwater entered nearby houses, posing a serious threat to public life and property in low-lying areas.

The heavy rains caused a significant rise in water flow in the Subhan Khwar as well as the Kabul and Swat rivers, leading to widespread damages. Several houses collapsed in areas including Dalazak and Matta Mughal Khel, while agricultural land was also affected.

Floodwater entered houses in Gulbahar Colony, leaving residents stranded. A road closure in Mansooka area disrupted traffic towards the Mohmand Dam, while Shabqadar Bazaar was also affected by flooding.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2026