RAWALPINDI: Rain varying from drizzles to heavy lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday, creating a slushy mess in Saddar and other areas of the garrison city.

The rain began in the morning and continued till the afternoon with small breaks, bringing mercury down to 26 degrees Celsius. Many low-lying areas of the cantonment and city were inundated with rainwater. The district administration, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), civil defence department and Rescue 1122 remained on high alert throughout the day to deal with any emergency.

The Meteorological Department recorded 22 millimetres (mm) of rainfall at Zero Point, 20mm at Saidpur, 4mm at Bokra, 13mm at Golra, 15mm at Islamabad airport and 17mm at Shamsabad, 9mm at Kutchery and 19mm at Chaklala in Rawalpindi and forecast more rains in the next 24 hours.

In Saddar, rainwater accumulated on major roads, including Haider Road, Bank Road and Adamjee Road, where ongoing work on electricity supply lines has exacerbated the situation.

Committee Chowk and Faizabad underpasses were also inundated with rainwater but these were cleared by afternoon. Wasa said its officials worked throughout the day to drain water from the low-lying areas. A Met official explained that during the monsoon season, rain often falls in localised pockets.

“Deep depression is present over Rann of Kutch, India and lies at a distance of 270km east/southeast of Karachi, and likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during next 24 hours. A westerly wave is also affecting upper parts of the country.”

He said that more widespread rain-windstorm/thundershower was expected in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Heavy falls are likely in Sindh, northeast/south Balochistan, northeast/central Punjab, Potohar region, Islamabad, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

“The Leh Nullah rose to five feet at Kattarian and four feet at Gawalmandi bridge and the situation remained under control due to dredging of the nullah before the monsoon,” said Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf while talking to Dawn.

“We have already imposed a rain emergency from July 1 to September 15. Wasa officials remain on high alert to deal with any emergency,” he said.

All flood response teams have been activated to drain out water from low-lying and other areas, he added.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2024