GUJRAT: Residents of three major cities of central Punjab – Gujrat, Sialkot and Wazirabad – are witnessing the worst-ever urban flooding following downpours late on Tuesday that continued throughout Wednesday.

Sialkot city witnessed 405mm of rainfall late on Tuesday night, whereas 196mm rainfall was recorded until 11pm in Gujrat city which continued throughout the night. Because of the situation, deputy commissioners of Gujrat and Sialkot declared a local holiday on Wednesday. The Sialkot DC also announced closure of educational institutions on Thursday (today) owing to the situation.

In Wazirabad too, the Palkhu drain overflowed causing unprecedented urban flooding in residential localities of the city. The routine lives of citizens in these three cities, known as the golden industrial triangle, came to a standstill. Traffic flow in these cities also remained slim and people remained stranded in their homes.

Official sources claimed that the newly-established Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) in Sialkot was without the necessary equipment to deal with such ‘unprecedented urban flooding’. The city’s municipal corporation was also unable to conduct desilting prior to the monsoon season, the sources claimed.

However, Sialkot DC Saba Asghar Ali said that at least 465mm rain had been recorded in Sialkot during the last two days and it was an unprecedented situation. She said that dewatering sets and other machinery had been brought over from Gujranwala Wasa and the Punjab government was providing resources to tackle this challenging situation.

In Pasrur teshil of Sialkot, 105 villages were inundated following breaches at 12 different embankments and water also entered in the urban areas of Pasrur. Agricultural land in all 105 villages had been completely submerged as a result.

At Gujrat’s Jail Chowk, Rehman Shaheed Road and Jalalpur Jattan Road remained the flash points of the flooding. These roads remained inundated starting Tuesday night and remained submerged into Wednesday night after heavy rain continued to lash the city for almost 30 hours since Monday. The situation at Jinnah Road, Bhimbher Road, Circular Road, Prince Chowk and adjoining localities was also very critical as a number of vehicles were stranded in the flooding. The Zahoor Elahi Cricket Stadium and its market was the worst example of urban flooding in the city as 50 inches of water accumulated there since the last 24 hours.

However, civic agencies and the administration were seen busy in draining out the water from the affected areas. Gujrat DC Nur ul Ain Qureshi also inspected various areas of the city and issued directions for the speedy drainage of rainwater.

Meanwhile, Punjab ministers Bilal Yaseen, Zeeshan Rafique and Housing secretary Noorul Amin Mengal also visited Sialkot on Wednesday to monitor the situation.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2025