LAHORE: Heavy rain continued on Saturday and lashed several parts of Lahore, with Saggian receiving the highest rainfall of 142.8 millimetres while the administration continued drainage operation in areas affected by the Hudiara Drain.
Several roads, streets and intersections across the Lahore city district were inundated. “It was another tough day, as I couldn’t reach my friend because my bike broke down because of the rain,” commented a biker while talking to Dawn.
On the other hand, the Lahore administration rushed to the localities affected by the flooding of the Hudiara Drain near Sundar in a bid to help the residents.
According to the water and sanitation agency (Wasa), the rainfall recorded on Saturday across the city included 64.7mm on Jail Road, 27.7mm at the Airport, 89.2mm at the Gulberg Head Office, 94.4mm at Lakshmi Chowk, 105.6mm at Upper Mall, 52.4mm at Mughalpura, 54.4mm at Tajpura, 70.2mm at Nishtar Town, 89.4mm at Chowk Nakhuda, 129mm at Pani Wala Talab, 141mm at Farrukhabad, 77.6mm at Gulshan-i-Ravi, 47.4mm at Iqbal Town, 84mm at Samanabad, 63mm at Johar Town, 9.6mm on Defence Road, 58.2mm at Shadipura, 66mm at Kahna and 29.2mm at Manawan. Saggian recorded the highest rainfall in the city at 142.8mm, followed by 141mm in Farrukhabad and 129mm at Pani Wala Talab.
“The entire Wasa Lahore (field operation) is on high alert for three days and officials come on duty early in the morning and go home late at night because of rainwater drainage operations on roads, intersections etc in the city,” Wasa Managing Director Ghufran Ahmad said while talking to Dawn. “For the last 3-4 days, Wasa’s rainwater drainage operations are being monitored by the housing department minister, secretary and other senior officials. Even today, the secretary remained at Lakshami Chowk for a couple of hours to monitor the operation,” he maintained.
To a question, he said that the water level in the Lahore drains, including Sattukata, Cantt, Shahdra, Chota Ravi, Upper Chota Ravi and Shalimar water channel has surged. “The water flow in city drains is under control at the moment,” he said.
In various areas affected by the Hudiara Drain on Friday, the residents reported facing difficulties due to rains and the drain water entering their villages and localities. In a video now viral on social media, locals complained about receiving no help from the Lahore district administration. However, after the issue was highlighted by the media, the administration officers led by Lahore DC rushed to the affected areas.
The DC and other officers visited Tiba Khudpur Road and the Hadyara Drain in Mohlanwal to review drainage operations and monitor the flow of rainwater.
According to the district administration, the field teams and personnel of Wasa remained engaged in drainage operations in rain-affected areas to ensure the prompt removal of accumulated water. During the visit, officials briefed the DC on the ongoing dewatering operations and the cleaning of drains.
Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2026
