NAROWAL: Inundation of low-lying areas and a hospital in parts of Punjab remained the biggest casualty of Tuesday’s downpour.

It rained for hours together in Shakargarh tehsil of Narowal which inundated the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospital. The rainwater accumulated in the general ward, OPD, medical store and dispensary of the hospital. Also affected were rooms meant for doctors who faced a great deal of inconvenience while examining patients.

Eyewitnesses said the dispenser shifted medicines to some ‘safe’ place. The washrooms and manholes of sewerage pipelines began to overflow.

THQ hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Tariq said flawed construction of the health facility had resulted in accumulation of rainwater and sewage. He said he would have medicines and equipment shifted to the new emergency ward.

Meanwhile, it was a hard day for the patients who had come from far and wide. They protested absence of any mechanism to prevent accumulation of rainwater and demanded that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif take notice of their plight and issue directions to remedy the situation.

SAHIWAL: Two persons suffered minor injuries in a roof collapse incident amid rain at Pakpattan Chowk, Rescue 1122 said.

Heavy rain and thunderstorm uprooted trees and damaged public and private properties. Electricity remained suspended in many parts of the city as officials said Ghala Mandi, Yousafwala and Tariq Bin Zayyad Colony feeder went out of order.

Rainwater inundated many areas including Railway Road, Church Road, Pakpattan Bazaar, Deepalpur Bazaar and Saddar Bazaar.

SIALKOT: A drain ended up in high flood after the fresh spell of rains in Sialkot and catchment areas of occupied Jammu & Kashmir.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Dr Umar Sher said the flow of floodwater soared to 19,815 cause in Nullah Dek near Pasrur. It has the total capacity of 25,000 cusec. The district administration issued flood warning in Pasrur’s villages along the banks of the drain, he said and added that water started receding by evening.

Dr Sher said the situation was under control in the district.

Provincial secretary Dr Naveed Ahmed Chaudhry visited the drain area and reviewed measures the administration put in place to prevent flood.

The widespread rain exposed the performance of the Sialkot Municipal Corporation; many roads looked like water channels. Uncountable number of vehicles stuck on sewage-plagued roads at many places and there were also complaints about rainwater having seeped into houses.

The rail track between Sialkot and Pasrur and of Sialkot-Sambrial-Wazirabad remained inundated.

BAHAWALPUR: Windstorm and subsequent downpour damaged valuables and turned the low-lying areas into water channels. Shopkeepers on Circular Road faced losses as rainwater was submerged in their outlets.

In great distress were the residents of slums and makeshift abodes along streets and main roads.

Mayor Aqeel Najam Hashmi (Municipal Corporation) supervised the arrangement of pumping sets at Fowara Chowk and some other places to drain out the water.

Reports of power failure or shutdowns emerged from the jurisdiction of two grid stations of Bahawalpur and Baghdadul Jadid. Mepco claimed that officials restored electricity in some of the areas.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Torrential rain played havoc in this district as well as water seeped into houses and splashed in various areas.

The authorities had to close railway underpass due to rainwater and traffic was badly affected at many other places as well.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2017