RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed the twin cities on Friday afternoon, inundating low-lying areas.

The Met Office predicted more rains in the next 24 hours and another strong spell from Sunday evening.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), the district administration, Civil Defence Department and Rescue 1122 remained on a high alert to deal with any emergency fearing flood in Leh Nullah. However, the rain raised the water level up to eight feet at Gawalmandi bridge and seven feet at Katarian bridge.

The Met Office recorded 15mm rainfall at Zero Point, 14mm at Bokra, 3mm at Golra in Islamabad and 22mm at Chaklala, 21mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi.

It said more monsoon currents were likely to penetrate into upper and central parts of the country from Sunday.

“Under the influence of this weather system, rain/wind-thundershowers (with isolated heavy falls) are expected in Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Dir, Swat, Buner, Kohistan, Haripur, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, Mardan, Kohat, Kurram, Karak, Bannu and D.I. Khan from Sunday to Tuesday.” The wet spell exposed the claims of civic bodies, especially Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Board, as rainwater accumulated on main roads.

Bazaar Kallan, Dingi Khoi, Raja Bazaar, Akalgarh, Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Dhoke Ratta, Ganjmandi, Jamia Masjid Road, Bani Chowk, Sadiqabad, Bohar Bazaar, Naya Mohallah, Raja Bazaar, Mohanpura and others areas submerged under knee-deep water.

The roads and streets presented the look of pools forcing the city dwellers to drain out rainwater from their houses. Many parts of the city and cantonment, the traffic signals also stopped working which led to traffic chaos.

Due to the rain, supply of electricity to city areas remained suspended and was restored after a few hours.

Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood said the water level in Leh Nullah did not rise to the pre-alert level.

He said Wasa had already cleared the hurdle under main bridges on the nullah due to which rainwater flowed smoothly. He said water accumulated at Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk underpasses and some other areas but it was cleared within an hour.

“Rain emergency has been enforced till September 15. Five field offices have been established as Flood Response Units at Moti Mahal, Liquat Bagh, Bagh Sardaran, Commercial Market and Khyaban-i-Sir Syed. Heavy machinery is deployed at these flood response units,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2020