Downside: Rain spell makes lives miserable in low-lying areas

Scattered downpours expected across province

LAHORE:

Widespread rain and thundershowers accompanied with strong winds lashed various parts of the province on Saturday.

While the weather in the city turned pleasant following the rain spell that started between Wednesday and Thursday, it has started inconveniencing citizens.

A Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) spokesman told The Express Tribune that widespread rain and isolated hailstorms were recorded across different areas in upper Punjab including the Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad and Sahiwal divisions, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), FATA and Islamabad.

A weather report showed that scattered downpours were expected in upper K-P (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat), the FATA, the AJK, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan. Rain and thundershower accompanied by strong winds were expected across scattered places in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and at isolated places in Bahawalpur, Quetta, Zhob and Kalat.

Data revealed that around four to seven millimetres (mm) of rain was recorded in different areas of Lahore while Murree received the highest rainfall at 69 mm. Similarly, Islamabad received 53 to 38 mm; Rawalpindi 37 to 30 mm; Jhelum 39 mm; Sialkot 29 mm; Bahawalpur 25 mm; Bahawalnagar 24 mm; Gujranwala, Mangla 22 mm; Bahawalpur 21 mm, Mandi Bahauddin 20 mm; Faisalabad 19 mm; Jhang, Noorpur Thal 18 mm; Multan, Layyah, Chakwal 17 mm; Sargodha 16 mm; Joharabad 15 mm ; Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Toba Tek Singh 13 mm ; Kot Addu 8 mm; Dera Ghazi Khan 5 mm; Sahiwal 4 mm and  Okara 2 mm.

The forecast for the next 48 hours predicts widespread rain and thundershowers with strong winds (and isolated hailstorms) across the AJK, the G-B, the K-P, the FATA, Islamabad and upper Punjab (Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad and Sahiwal). Heavy downpours are expected in upper K-P (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan and Kohat), FATA, AJK, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan over the period. Rain and thundershowers with strong winds are expected across isolated places in Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan.

China Scheme resident Ahmad Raza said that while the rain was a blessing mud and standing water had virtually brought life to a halt in the area. “All roads have been dug up courtesy the Orange Line Metro Train project. It is impossible to move around due to the debris scattered along the under-construction track. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that dozens of motorcyclists have met with accidents here over the last few days,” he said.

Multan Road resident Imran Siddique also voiced similar remarks. He said traffic jams had become commonplace due to construction activity in the area. Siddique said the rain had made commuters’ lives miserable.

Officials have been directed by DCO Muhammad Usman to effectively coordinate with Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) officials to ensure quick drainage of standing water. He instructed town officials to inspect low-lying areas in their jurisdictions and inspect water drainage arrangements.

Worker killed in roof collapse

Police said on Saturday that a 45-year-old worker had died in Baghbanpura area.

Officials said Sadiqabad resident Mashooq Ali was working at a wire manufacturing unit in Siraj Park when its roof had caved in. Police said rescuers had taken him to a hospital where doctors had confirmed his demise. Officials said the body of the deceased had been sent to a mortuary for autopsy. Police said the dilapidated roof of the industrial unit had caved in due to the rain.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2016.