Rain brings pain for twin cities

Four, including mother, child die as downpour inundates many areas

ISLAMABAD: The heavy downpour on Thursday brought havoc to twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi claiming four lives and raising alarms for likely flood in low lying areas.

Search operation for bodies was under way in Soan River while still high alert has been issued for people living on encroached areas of the banks of Nullah Leh.

According to the Water and Sewerage Authority of Rawalpindi, clouds dumped 160mm of rain in the last 24 hours which increased the water level in Nullah Leh to 11 feet while nearby localities of Shamsabad, PWD Colony, Saddiqabad, Kartarpura, Ariya Mahala, and Javed Colony have been left flooded.

Rainwater has reportedly entered houses on the old city area of Rawalpindi, where people were cursing the authorities that had claimed clearing the nullahs before monsoon to avoid urban flood.

According to Rescue 1122 officials a mother and her year old son drowned when flood waters breached the wall of the basement of a house in PWD Colony where they were sleeping along with seven other people.

Scattered rain expected in city today

The woman died trying to save her child. The other seven people were rescued, officials said.

Separately, a 17-year old boy died swimming near Sihala Bridge.

A lawyer was swept away in an overflowing Nullah near Ghari Chowk in Phase 7, in the jurisdiction of Police Station Rawat.

The missing lawyer was identified as Raja Imran Kiani. Imran was heading towards his home in his vehicle when a flash flood swept him away while Rescue 1122 divers have been conducting a search operation in Soan River.

Similarly,  the sewerage system and the seasonal nullahs got chocked and rain water entered in houses and shops located at Awan Colony, Shamasabad, Sadiqabad, Shakrial, Dhoke Kala Khan, Bilal Colony, Nadim Colony, Javed Colony,  Tench Bhatta, Kashmir Colony and many other areas.

Rawal Lake full

The water level in the Rawal Lake has reached its maximum level of 1,750 acre feet. WASA authorities said spillways of Rawal Dam will be opened to discharge water.

Due to the have downpour in the twin city most of the links road has been remained blocked and roads in the jammed in the Faizabad area.

The city district government has issued rain emergency and put all the civic bodies including Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Municipal Corporation to cope with any kind of mishap, according to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Randhawa.

Reportedly the Railway service, domestic and international flights schedule at Islamabad International Airport were also affected badly.

Several commuters got stuck in rain water on Murree RoadPeshawar Road, Kuri Road, Liaquat Bagh, Shangrila Hotel, Committee Chowk and Pirwadhai Underpasses, Muslim Town and Ashraf Town were also flooded with heavy rain triggering traffic jam.

Sheikh Rasheed visits Leh

Minister for Railways Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed Thursday said the construction of Rs80 billion Leh Expressway would be initiated during this calendar year as the project was imperative for eliminating the danger of floods in Rawalpindi forever.

Talking during the visit of Leh, he said several international construction companies had shown interest in constructing 26km long Leh Expressway. The expressway would start from Peshawar More, Islamabad to Swan Bridge, near Lahore High Court would change the look of entire city, said a press release issue here.

He said the construction of Leh Expressway and flood channel was essential for preventing the city from floods.                He directed the city management to remain alert to cope with any untoward incident as more rains are expected during this monsoon.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2019.