RAWALPINDI, Aug 4: With cantonment authorities enjoying a holiday, Saturday’s heavy rainfall played havoc in the area, as rainwater gushed into houses, damaging household items, besides threatening to swell over into other localities.

Over 15 houses in Dhoke Syedan, a thickly-populated residential area, was submerged by rainwater by four-feet as the road median of the nearby road broke due to water gushing in, forcing residents to flee their homes, crying for help.

There was no official in Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) due to the two-day weekly holiday by federal government and resultantly the rescue machinery could not be mobilised, due to want of staff.

But when the rain continued for long and the water-level in the streets of adjoining localities reached a dangerous level, the Station Commander called DCO Rawalpindi, Saqib Zafar and demanded water suction machines from Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa), as the offices of Punjab government were open on Saturday. Rainwater was also threatening houses in low-lying areas in Rawalpindi city, where machinery had also been mobilised to tackle the emergency situation, however, the entire staff rushed to cantonment limits where the affected owners of houses were waiting for help.

“We keep ourselves updated with weather conditions due to the possible flood threat in Lai Nullah but this time rainwater headed towards cantonment areas. I talked to Station Commander and directed Wasa to send water suction machines for clearing the houses from water,” DCO Saqib Zafar, told Dawn on Saturday.

Muhammad Rafique, 48, a house owner in Dhoke Syedan told this reporter that his family members had been fighting with the rainwater in order to stop it from entering their house but they finally gave in to the heavy rain spell.

“Our cantonment authorities have two days off and were told by neighbours that no civic agency would come to help us out so we handled it on our own. The rainwater affected food items in kitchen and bedrooms,” he said.

Managing Director Wasa Raja Shaukat Mehmood said that his office had already informed residents to take care during the rainy season, besides warning them not to allow elders and children to go out of their homes alone as the drain could burst due to heavy rainfall.

“The satisfying thing is that Lai Nullah has been flowing normally and there is no threat of a deluge. We have to concentrate on inner city areas during rain and clear the choked drains in order to avoid the rainwater gushing into houses.”