Overnight rain swamps the city
Motorists struggle to commute as Lahore’s main roads remain deluged after heavy rain battered the metropolis. Photos: Zahoor ahmed & Imtiaz Khan / express
Monsoon rain lashed several districts of Punjab, turning the weather pleasant but also disrupting civic facilities.
The rain in Lahore began late on Monday night and continued for several hours with periods of heavy downpour. Many low-lying areas, including some upscale localities, were inundated.
Traffic moved at a slow pace after rainwater pooled on roads.
Residents of several areas complained of problems because of delay in drainage of the rainwater.
The highest rainfall in Lahore was recorded in Tajpura at 190 millimetres.
The monsoon rains normally continue from July to the second week of September but the pattern is becoming unpredictable because of climate change.
Students and employees faced difficulties in going to schools, colleges, universities and offices in the morning because the roads all over the city were flooded.
Jail Road received 85mm of rain, airport 188mm, Gulberg 158mm Laxmi Chowk 112mm, Upper Mall 105mm, Mughalpura 104mm, Nishtar Town 174mm, Johar Town 135 mm and Qurtuba Chowk 101mm.
The main reason for inundation of roads was the lack of a separate drainage system for rainwater.
The Water and Sanitation Agency’s sewerage system is too old to handle the routine water flow and complaints of clogged drains are common.
According to a former official coal, rainfall of over 100mm in the city overflows the sewerage system.
The flooded areas included Walton Road, Gaddafi Stadium, Cavalry Ground, Domoria Bridge, Johar Town, Gulberg, Samnabad, Gulshan Ravi, Tajpura, Garhi Shahu, AG Office, Mazang, Qurtuba Chowk, Jain Mandir, IG Office, Chowk Nakhuda and Lakshmi Chowk.
A resident, Muhammad Nawaz, said while speaking to The Express Tribune that the citizens had to face the same problems every year in the monsoon season.
Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa and other senior officers visited several.areas of the city, including Jinnah Underpass, Laxmi Chowk, Mall Road, Governor House, Qurtuba Chowk and Aiwan Iqbal, and issued instructions regarding drainage of rainwater.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2023..