GUJRAT: The worst-ever urban flooding caused by the overflow and flash floods in the storm water channels located at least 15 to 20km away from the city have put the lives of citizens at the mercy of the water as the local administration is struggling to drain the water out.

Though it was a sunny and dry Thursday, the floodwater that had started entering the city on Wednesday night made the whole city a no-go area with inundated roads and streets.

Due to heavy flooding, the Gujrat administration has announced a local holiday for today (Friday) and all public and private institutions and markets would remain shut. On Thursday, the veducational institutions and the commercial centres remained closed whereas there was a very thin presence in the government offices and courts. Even the judicial officers, their families and other staff were evacuated through boats and heavy vehicles from the premises of the district courts.

The residents were stranded in their houses and a large number of them complained about the shortage of food items and volunteers of different organisations provided them with meals.

170 prisoners shifted to Gujranwala, Lahore jails after Gujrat jail’s flooding

At least 170 prisoners have been shifted from Gujrat District Jail to the Gujranwala and Lahore jails after water flooded district jail the other day.

Official sources said 100 prisoners of murder cases had been shifted to the Lahore jail whereas 70 women prisoners were shifted to Gujranwala District Jail as a precautionary measure. They added that around 1,000 prisoners were shifted to the newly-built barracks from the old barracks of Gujrat jail.

At least 200 prisoners were shifted to Jhelum District Jail around five days back due to the accumulation of rainwater in the jail.

Moreover, the authorities have already got exemption from being presented in the courts for the last few days due to urban flooding as well as rainwater accumulation in the jail.

Gujrat district administration installed at least six dewatering sets at the district jail for drain water out.

On Thursday, hundreds of the residents of different areas, particularly from the low-lying ones, were evacuated by the rescue teams of the district administration, Rescue 1122, Al-Khidmat Foundation, police and volunteers. Most of the evacuated people were the old people, women and children of the affected families. Tractor-trolleys, boats and other heavy vehicles were used to rescue them.

Heavy machinery was used to desilt and widen the existing drains particularly along the GT Road and Kalara drains to improve the pace of flow.

A senior official told Dawn that the flooding water flow towards Gujrat was diverted to other directions at Malhu Khokhar and Loraiy villages through breaches in the roads as well as in dykes of Hailsey storm water channel on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, Gujranwala Commissioner Naveed Haider Sheerazi and secretary housing Noorul Amin Mengal arrived in Gujrat on Thursday and inspected the various trouble spots of the city.

Deputy Commissioner Nurulain Qureshi and other officials briefed them about the situation whereas an official meeting was also held to review the so far efforts to drain out the water.

This has been the second consecutive year that the overflowed water from the drains of Daulat Nagar, Fatehpur and others stormed into the city after heavy rains in the catchment areas of Kashmir.

Official sources and the area people said the worst flooding had been caused by the illegal encroachments and construction activities along the bed of storm water drains during the last few years.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is also due in Gujrat on Friday (today) to inspect the flood situation.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2025