ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: With a number of urban areas already inundated after a night of rainfall, more spells are expected in the central and northern parts of the country.

Thundershowers late at night between Monday and Tuesday led to the heaviest rainfall – 244 millimetres – in the month of August so far, increasing the level of water in Nullah Leh to dangerous levels and causing the spillways of Rawal Dam to be opened after a year.

“The floodgates were opened at around noon on Tuesday and continued to let water out until around 6pm,” an official from the Punjab Irrigation Department posted at Rawal Dam said.

More rainfall expected, several localities in Rawalpindi inundated

The water level in Rawal Lake was 1,746.6ft on Monday, but after overnight’s spell and 90mm of rainfall in Murree, the level rose to 1,750ft by 11am on Tuesday.

The lake’s capacity is 1,752ft, but holding water beyond 1,750ft can be dangerous for the embankments, the official explained, adding: “Besides, there is an advisory of more rain as well”.

The Met Office has said that strong monsoon currents are continuously penetrating upper parts of the country from the east while a cool westerly wave is also affecting the region. This combination of warm moist monsoon winds and a cool wave from the west has led to predictions of more rainfall in Kashmir, central and north Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The news of greater rainfall is positive for the Punjab Irrigation Department, but for residents of Rawalpindi, where several low-lying areas have already been flooded, the situation is a difficult one.

The twin cities received heavy rainfall for a span of around four hours.

A Met Office official said Rawalpindi received 244mm in August.

The last time the city received so much rain was in 1997, when it received 200mm on Aug 27.

“The heaviest rainfall, a record of 591mm, in Rawalpindi occurred in July 2001,” the official added.

The Chaklala area received 244mm, Shamsabad received 211mm, Zero Point received 169mm and other parts of the capital received around 120mm, all of which led to heavy flow into Nullah Leh.

Nullah Leh rose to 15ft under the Gawalmandi Bridge and 17ft at Katarian Bridge.

Pre-alert flood warnings have been issued by the district administration advising people living around Nullah Leh to move to safer locations.

Urban flooding in Rawalpindi

Traffic lights stopped working in many parts of the city and cantonment areas, leading to chaotic traffic on Tuesday.

The sewerage system in downtown Rawalpindi and in the area near Leh Nullah was also choked; by morning, streets were flooded and water had entered residential and commercial buildings. Water also entered the basement of the Holy Family Hospital.

Electricity was suspended in the early hours in low-lying areas to prevent short circuits.

The worst-affected were Mohallah Imambargah, Raja Bazaar, Arya Mohallah, Jamia Masjid Road, Mochi Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Sabzi Mandi, Mukha Singh Estate and parts of both cantonment boards.

Rainwater accumulated on the Committee Chowk Underpass and the road was closed to traffic. The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) installed machines there and on other roads to drain the water.

Wasa is on high alert, as are the district administration, Rescue 1122 and two units of the army’s 111 Brigade, in case of any emergency.

Wasa was busy all day clearing blockages in main sewerage lines and opening drains to keep water flowing smoothly.

“There is no hurdle blocking the flow of water in Nullah Leh,” Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood said. He added that water had started to recede in the city.

Urban residents were not the only ones impacted by the downpour; 11 people, including a child, were trapped on the bed of Soan River at Gorakhpur near Adiala jail.

They were living near a tubewell on the riverbank and were trapped when water in the river rose during the night. They had to climb an electricity pole and residents of a nearby village called Rescue 1122 Tuesday morning.

District Emergency Officer Dr Abdur Rehman told Dawn 11 people were rescued from Soan River and shifted to a safer location.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2018