PESHAWAR, Aug 25: A spell of heavy rain in the provincial metropolis on Thursday morning kept the residents on toes for the rest of the day, as rainwater inundated streets and roads in several localities due to choked sewerage lines and people were seen throwing water with buckets outside their homes.
In addition, traffic jams and power outages were other features of the day affecting the life in Peshawar.
Heavy rain coupled with thunderstorm started in the morning and broke the heat wave that gripped Peshawar for the last few days, but within no time the rainwater submerged link roads and streets in different parts of the city, multiplying miseries of the people. According to the local Met office, Peshawar received 73mm rain during the first six hours.
Sudden increase in the water level overflowing mainly from the incapacitated drainage system of the provincial metropolis alarmed many dwellers who still have harsh memories of the last year’s flood fresh in their minds.
“The heavy rain spell started at around 8am and it lasted for an hour, but it quickly inundated streets and major link roads that sent a wave of fear among many households,” Arsala Khan, a resident of Bakhsho Pul area, told Dawn. The area suffered extensive damage to the public and private properties within hours in the last year’s floods.
“Everybody is closely watching the situation unlike last year when in early hours of July 29 the flash floods inundated the area, giving the households no time to save their valuables,” said Mr Khan.
Fear of floods equally persisted even in areas like Sethi Town, Gulbahar and Faqirabad that are located comparatively on high altitude because of chocked sewerage lines.
People were seen clearing the water ways that were blocked due to solid waste to prevent water flowing into their houses in low-lying areas. Even in some high altitude areas water entered the houses, forcing the inhabitants to adopt their own strategies to get rid of it.
Gul Afzal, a resident of Gulbahar No-II, was dropping rainwater out of his house with a plastic bucket amid heavy rain. “Look at the water level; within less than 30 minutes the water entered into our houses and we have to deal with it on our own because there is no sanitary staff of the union council administration around,” Mr Afzal told this correspondent.
Mr Afzal’s house is located next to the right bank of Gulbahar canal, a permanent source of worries for the people of this neighborhood. They fear that the canal, which passes through all the way from Warsak and drops in the Kabul River near Nowshera, has the potential to inundate many nearby settlements.
Rainwater also entered into the Government Higher Secondary School Gulbahar located on the right bank of this canal, following which an SOS call was made to Rescue 1122. According to the Rescue 1122 spokesperson, 23 persons, including women and children, were rescued from inside the school building after the water level rose.
With the start of rain spell, power supply was disconnected to many localities due to breakdown of power distribution system of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco).
According to the Pesco spokesperson, the heavy rain affected 18 feeders in various grid stations that caused suspension of power supply, mostly to the suburban areas of Peshawar. Power supply was restored after a few hours.
Worst traffic jams also added to the miseries of Peshawaris, as most of the link and service roads were flooded with rainwater and all the vehicles had to commute on the G.T. Road and its major arteries.
The ongoing development work on a portion of the G.T. Road near Gulbahar also caused traffic jams, keeping the commuters stranded for hours.