RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday morning, inundating low-lying areas and bringing a pleasant change in the weather.

The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the Rawalpindi district administration remained on high alert to deal with any flood in Leh Nullah but the rain did not raise the water level to the pre-alert level.

Rainwater raised the level in the nullah to six feet at Gawalmandi Bridge and seven feet at Kattarian Bridge.

The Meteorological Department recorded 21 millimetre (mm) rainfall at Saidpur, 16mm at Golra and Zero Point, two mm at Airport, six mm in Bokra in Islamabad, 35mm Chaklala and eight mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi. It forecast more rains during the next 24 hours.

The Met Office said the monsoon currents were penetrating into the upper and central parts of the country and would produce rain in northeastern Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northeastern Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

However, hot and humid weather is expected in most parts of the country.

However, light to moderate rain is expected at scattered places of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The rainwater accumulated at Rawal Road, Committee Chowk Underpass, Dhoke Khabba, Mukha Singh Estate, Millat Colony, Sir Syed Road, Kamalabad and G.T. Road from Soan Bridge of Siham Underpass.

In the downtown areas, Bazaar Kallan, Dingi Khoi, Raja Bazaar, Akalgarh, Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Dhoke Ratta, Ganjmandi, Jamia Masjid Road, Bani Chowk, Sadiqabad, Bohar Bazaar, Naya Mohallah, Raja Bazaar, Mohanpura and others areas were submerged under knee-deepwater.

Due to rain, there was also a power shutdown in the city areas which was restored in the afternoon.

People expressed resentment over the poor sewerage system and absence of electricity.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood said due to proper desilting of Leh Nullah, the rain water did not accumulate in low lying areas.

He said the water level in Leh Nullah was recorded seven feet at New Kattarian and six feet at Gawalmandi.

He said in the past rainwater submerged roads and created problems for people but on Tuesday the situation was satisfactory.

However, he admitted that downtown areas were inundated and said it was due to the choked sewerage system.

He said the sewerage system in the city was old and outdated and needed replacement.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2020