RAWALPINDI: As the dengue cases continue to increase, Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) on Friday issued an alert about a possible outbreak of the disease in October, particularly in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Larkana and Multan.

A spokesman for the department in a statement said dengue fever had deepened its roots and impacted severely the health of people over the last 10 years.

This phenomenon occurs especially during the post-monsoon season — September 20 till December 5.

“The dengue triggers during those periods when the temperature and humidity threshold remains 26-29 degrees Celsius (3-5 weeks) and 60 per cent, respectively. Moreover, rainfall remains more than 27mm with a maximum time lag period of three weeks. The active period for dengue attacks is two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.”

Official says disease spreads during post-monsoon season

The breeding stops once the temperature falls below 16°C. Keeping in view the past data analysis, he said, the current and future climate outlook especially the retreat of monsoon and the above-mentioned atmospheric variables are providing an ideal environment for a dengue outbreak.

Based on the analysis, the environment has become conducive from mid-September for dengue onset and it is predicted that it may outbreak in October, particularly in the 10 major cities.

He said the PMD advised all stakeholders to take preemptive measures for the dengue outbreak.

Meanwhile, 65 more patients went down with the mosquito-borne disease on Friday, taking the tally to 1026 in the current season. Officials said 250 patients arrived in three government hospitals in the 24 hours and 65 of them were dengue patients. A total of 210 dengue patients are admitted in Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and the tehsil headquarters hospitals.

Mostly the patients arrived from Kulyar, Shakrial, Khanna Dak, Lakhan, Gangal, Chaklala, Dhoke Munshee, Rehmatabad, Kotha Kalan, morgah, Dhamial, Chak Jalaldin, Girja, Satellite Town, Qayyumabad, Kattarian, Gulistan, Dhoke Gujran, Dhoke Syedan, Tench Bhatta and adjoining areas.

According to official figures, five dengue patients were critical while the remaining were being treated in the hospitals.

Heavy rain inundates low lying areas

Heavy rain lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday, inundating the low lying areas and increasing water level in Leh Nullah.

The rain started at 12:30am and continued till 10am with small gaps varying from light to heavy.

It raised the water level in Leh Nullah to 12.7 feet till morning at 4am, forcing the civic agencies to blare pre-alert sirens while at Kattarian the water level was at 11 feet.

It was pre-alert situation for the flood in the nullah as the dangerous level started from 22 feet and it overflows after level reaches 30 feet.

After the pre-alert, the Pakistan Army, local administration, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Rescue 1122, Civil Defence Department and health department arrived at the LehNullah to monitor the situation as per standard operating procedure defined by the Punjab government to avoid flood like situation.

The rain, however, inundated the low lying areas in the city and cantonment areas and rainwater accumulated in streets and roads.

It also exposed the poor state of affairs in cantonment areas where potholes visible on all the roads including Haider Road, Adamjee Road, Transit Camp Road, Peshawar Road, Westridge Bazaar, Chur Chowk, Tench Bhatta and adjoining areas.

The Meteorological Department recorded 127 millimeter rain at Katcheri, 110 mm at Chaklala and 84 mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi while 117 mm at Bokra, 90 mm at Golra, 64 mm at Zero Point, 43 mm at Saidpur and 32 mm at Islamabad International Airport.

It forecast more rain till next 24 hours. The Met official said that the moist currents from the Bay of Bengal are penetrating upper and central parts of the country.

He said that the hot and humid weather is likely to be in the most districts of the country. Rain-windstorm/thundershower is expected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, northeast/Central Punjab, Potohar region, Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

On the other hand, Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf visited the area and inspected the drainage work on Murree Road, Sadiqabad, Nadeem Colonyand Committee Chowk underpass.

He said that after getting prediction of Metrological department for heavyrains in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Wasa had imposedrainemergency to avoid flood like situation in LehNullah and surroundingareas.

Five flood response units had been established at Moti-Mehal, Liaquat Bagh, Commercial Market and Khyaban-i-Sir Syed.

The sanitation staff, equipped with water sucker machines and other machinery will drain rainwater round-the-clock in three shifts till Monday (Sept 30).

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024