Heavy rains flood low-lying areas in Rawalpindi

Standing water renders Committee Chowk underpass unpassable for short period, Nullah Leh level rises

RAWALPINDI: Heavy rains lashed the garrison city on Wednesday morning, flooding low-lying areas of the city, inundating streets and roads and causing problems to the residents in several areas.

The rains started at around 2:30am and continued continuously till 7:30 in the morning. The five-hour rainfall was measured to be 80 millimetres.

The rainfall also raised the water level in the Nullah Leh to 10 feet, a level of pre-alert, triggering the relevant departments into action. If the water rises over 116 feet, an alert is sounded.

The rain flooded streets and roads in Sadiqabad, Raja Bazaar, Arian Mohalla, Javaid Colony, Dhoke Chiragh Din, Satellite Town, Waris Khan and Committee Chowk.

Rainwater also entered shops and markets in Sadiqabad, along with Jamia Masjid Road, Iqbal Road, and other low-lying areas.

The Committee Chowk underpass was blocked for vehicular traffic for half an hour after rainwater gathered on the road. The road was reopened after the water was drained.

The pumping system which had been installed at the underpass to drain rainwater had long been out of order.

The rising level of flood water in Nullah Leh put the staff of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Civil Defense, and Rescue 1122 on alert as they closely monitored the rainfall and the flood water from two monitoring stations which have been established at the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and others at the WASA office. WASA Spokesperson Umer Farooq said that such was the situation that Managing Director Shaukat Mahmood personally monitored staff draining rainwater and water levels in Nullah Leh.

He said that the agency had made the necessary arrangements to counter the flood-like situation before the start of the monsoon including dredging the Nullah Leh to remove large amounts of solid waste from the drain.

Water channels under the bridges along the Nullah Leh were also cleaned to ensure smooth flow of rainwater.

The agency had also overhauled its machinery including six suction machines, five jetting machines, 28 de-silting sets, and 22 water tankers to provide drinking water in the event of an emergency.

WASA also trained its field staff to counter the flood like situation. The agency has also set up four flood relief units at Moti Mahal, Liaquat Bagh, Bagh Sardaran, and Khayaban-e-Sir Syed. Two control rooms were also set up.

Farooq said that when the water level in Nullah Leh rises over 22 feet, those living along the storm drain are evacuated. Flood sirens are sounded when the water rises above 28 feet.

When asked, Farooq said that the rainfall on Wednesday raised the water level in the Rawal Lake by one foot. Before the rains, the water level in the dam stood at 1,735 feet.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2017.