Heavy downpour swamps Pindi

WASA cancels employees’ holidays to deal with emergencies in monsoon season

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:

Heavy downpours not only inundated several low-lying areas of Rawalpindi but also houses, and shops, causing severe damage to properties.

While people tried to empty their houses and shops, the administration remained totally absent. The accumulated water on major highways, including Murree Road, disrupted the traffic system. The water level at Katarian in Nullah Leh rose to 15 feet.

According to the Meteorological Department, 30mm of rain was recorded in Rawalpindi. At least 26mm of rain was recorded in Rawalpindi Chaklala, 22mm in Shamsabad, 3mm in Syedpur village, 13mm in Golra and 22mm in Bokhra. In Rawalpindi, the water level in Nullah Leh rose to 15 feet at Katarian.

On one hand, in low-lying areas, people remained busy in bailing water from their houses, while on the other hand, people in upscale localities, including Lalazar, remained trapped in their houses due to six feet of rainwater standing on the roads. Four expensive vehicles parked in the parking lots were severely damaged by rainwater.

Life came to a complete halt due to the accumulation of rainwater in the streets of Dhoke Kala Khan, Dhoke Kashmirian, Sadiqabad and Rahimabad. Traffic also remained jammed on Murree Road, Rawal Road, Jhelum Road, Mall Road, Airport Road and Jamia Masjid Road. Citizens were stuck in their cars for hours.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the residents of some localities said that the city administration failed to work efficiently in the very first downpour of the monsoon season. "What can we expect from them for future torrents when they were unable to handle the first one of the season?" they asked. Conversely, WASA Rawalpindi Managing Director Tanveer Ahmed said that the pre-monsoon rains alert had been issued for the intrusion of water in the low-lying areas, under which the heavy machinery of the agency was available in the low-lying areas.

He said that WASA staff members have been busy pumping water from Murree Road and Committee Chowk underpasses. Due to the timely cleaning of Nullah Leh, a big flood wave passed and entered the River Soan. He added that an emergency has been declared in WASA during the monsoon season, all staff holidays have been canceled and heavy machinery will remain with the staff in low-lying areas even at night.

"We are working with all agencies to deal with any emergency," he said, adding that in case of flood situation, help can be sought from Rescue 1122 water rescue teams.

The residents, who were trapped in their houses due to flooded roads, criticised the administration. "More rains are expected in the monsoon, so where will the citizens go?" they asked, adding that property was being damaged in low-lying areas, but nobody seems to care.

After a heavy downpour on Saturday morning in the federal capital, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon visited various localities and checked cleaning work in preparation for impending rainfall for proper drainage of water.

During his visit to Sector E-11, he instructed the society's management to expedite the cleanliness work and widening of nullahs by removing encroachment around them to ensure a smooth flow of water as more rains were expected in the coming days.

The deputy commissioner had already directed the management of housing societies to ensure the cleanliness of nullahs for proper drainage of rainwater. He asked the housing societies to immediately close the basements of residential houses and commercial plazas around the drains to avoid any emergency situation during the monsoon.

The DC also visited nullahs near kachi abadis (slum areas), diplomatic enclave, Bhara Kahu and inspected the cleaning work. "No negligence would be tolerated in the safety of residents, those responsible would be punished strictly," the deputy commissioner warned.

With additional input from APP

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2022.