Heavy downpours inundated Lahore as its Tajpura area reached 242 millimetres, while several others experienced at least 100mm of downpour, resulting in flooded roads and submerged low-lying areas.
Samanabad City 135 mm, Iqbal Town 1328 mm mm, Gulberg Town 103 mm, Chowk Nakhuda 122 mm, Nishter Town 129 mm, Jail Road 55 mm and Farrukhabad 119 mm.
Apart from Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Nikyal and Barnala areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gujranwala, Jehlam, Mandibahauddin, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Pakpattan and their adjoining areas also experienced heavy showers. A number of areas also suffered from power outages.
People faced huge problems as rainwater accumulated in a large number of areas – including Rawalpindi’s Dhok Kashmir, Sadiqabad and Dhok Kala Khan, as well as Lahore’s Devis Road, Nisbat Road, Gawalmandi, Krishan Nagar, Rajgarh, Mazang, Achara, Faisal Town , Garden Town , Gulberg, Mughalpura, Wasanpura, Badami Bagh and Shahdara.
The director general of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) said staff have been deployed to drain water in low-lying areas and arrangements have been completed to monitor flooding in Lai Nullah.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the local administration and Wasa authorities to take immediate measures to drain off rainwater in all cities, including Lahore, in view of the emergency situation.
The Punjab CM directed the personnel and officers to visit the vulnerable places and remain in the field till the rain water is completely drained.
She ordered the 1122 emergency service and other departments to prepare in advance for an emergency.
“The work to drain the main arteries and low-lying areas should continue without interruption. “Extraordinary measures are necessary to deal with the situation arising in various cities due to continuous rain,” she said.
Maryam said that rainwater should not be seen on the streets and markets, while the traffic police should clear the roads to facilitate the flow of vehicular traffic.
