Nullah Leh swells by up to 18 feet
Owing to torrential monsoon rains in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi early on Friday, the water levels in Nullah Leh rose by as much as 18 feet at various points along the massive storm drain.
Some of the low-lying areas adjoining Nullah Leh were flooded, prompting the authorities to ring the sirens in these areas.
Rain commenced late on Thursday night. The authorities said that the city received around 114 mm of rain, causing levels in Nullah Leh to rise to 18 feet at the Katarian bridge and 14 feet at the Gawalmandi bridge.
Areas which were most affected by the flooding were Nadeem Colony, Chaman Zar, Dhok Khabba, Sadiqabad, Commercial Market, Dhoke Dalal, Amarpoora, Chah Sultan, Rawal Road, and Mohalla Mahmoodabad amongst others.
Normal rainfall expected during monsoon
However, the water rose in the stream past midnight, when most people in the surrounding areas were asleep. The district administration and the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) evacuated people residing in high-risk areas.
Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mahmood, along with his teams visited Gawalmandi, Katariyan bridge, Committee Chowk, Murree Road and Liaquat Road to monitor the flooding.
Suction machines from Wasa helped drain water from the roads.
Mahmood said that apart from draining water from low-lying areas, water accumulated under the bridges in the Nullah Leh was also cleared.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2020.