NAROWAL: The four-hour heavy rain spell on Wednesday submerged most of the roads and streets of Shakargarh city, besides low-lying areas and buildings, including that of city police station.

Citizens blamed the administration for not taking timely measures to avoid accumulation of rainwater by improving sewerage and drainage system.

Following the four-hour heavy rain spell, around two-feet rainwater accumulated on the roads in Shakargarh city, while it was up to four feet in some low-lying streets.

Around two to three feet rainwater got accumulated in the Shakargarh city police station, submerging its courtyard, investigation rooms, lock-up, record room and the police barracks.

Rainwater enters city police station

The police officials, with the help of locals, immediately shifted the record files, computer equipment and even the suspects detained in the lock-up to a nearby under-construction building.

Azmat Ali, a local, regretted that he had been witnessing such scenes at the city police station during every rainy season at least for the past five years, but no measures had been taken by the authorities concerned to improve the situation.

Meanwhile, locals, including Abdul Ghafoor and Mujahid Ali. blamed incompetence of the district administration and local municipal authorities for accumulation of rainwater and poor sewerage and drainage system in Shakargarh city.

He said as there was no proper sewerage system in Shakargarh, the sewage had been accumulating on Antuwali-Norkot Road for the last two years, causing problems for the people.

Municipal Committee (MC) Services Officer Muhammad Afzal said that drains were being constructed to improve the sewerage system. He said that disposal pumps have also been made functional to remove rainwater from the city. He blamed the lack of cooperation by local roads department for accumulation of sewage and rainwater on Norkot Road.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) Maria Javed, who is also administrator of Shakargarh MC, admitted the sewerage system of the city has become dilapidated, resulting in poor drainage of sewage and rainwater, especially during monsoon rains. She said de-watering pumps were working round the clock to flush out the rainwater from the city areas, while the work to improve sewerage system has also been started.

The AC said meetings have been held with the roads department for construction of sewer culvert on Norkot Road by raising it, but the department was delaying its construction.

District police spokesperson Aitzaz Bashir said the old building of Shakargarh City Police Station was below the road level, resulting in accumulation of rainwater every monsoon.

He said because of timely removal of record and computer equipment from the police station, any serious damage was avoided despite accumulation of rainwater in its building.

Mr Bashir said new building for the city police station was under construction, that would solve the problem.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2022