Rain brings relief for twin cities’ residents

Air pollution and cases of seasonal illnesses witness significant drop

RAWALPINDI:

The recent spells of rain in the twin cities and snowfall in the hill resorts of Murree and nearby areas have led to a decrease in the Rawalpindi division’s air pollution index.

The persistent fog haunting the region scattered in the wake of last night’s rainfall and added to the reservoirs of the three dams that supply water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Water has also started to flow in the catchment areas of the dams, causing water levels to rise.

With forecasts of heavy rain throughout the next two to three days, air pollution in the cities is expected to considerably reduce and water levels are to increase further.

For the past six months, air pollution remained so high that its index had crossed 300 owing to continuous drought, dust and smoke in the region.

However, last night's rain and snowfall has finally caused the air pollution index of Islamabad to decrease from 278 to 178 and the air pollution index of Rawalpindi has come down from 290 to 189. In other cities, such as Murree levels have decreased to 160 on the index, 157 in Attock, 160 in Jhelum and 160 in Chakwal. If the rain continues, as it is expected to, there is a possibility of further reduction in air pollution.

Read: More rain expected in Karachi on Feb 3 and 4

Moreover, rainfall has also led to a decrease in the incidence of diseases such as cold, cough, allergies and fever caused by the dryness of drought conditions.

Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director, Muhammad Tanveer said that “There is plenty of water in Rawal and Khanpur Dam now. There is no risk of a water crisis in the twin cities this summer as rainy season has started late this year, but rain is expected to be normal.”

Department of Agriculture spokesperson, Muhammad Haroon, said that the ongoing rains in Rawalpindi Division will improve the production of wheat, corn, vegetables and fruits in the Potohar region. “The current ongoing moderate rains are beneficial for the wheat crop,” he exclaimed.

On the other hand, the heavy rain became a boon for traffic in the city as there was continuous disruption of traffic at different intersections and roads including, Murree Road, Liaquat Road, Rawal Road, Mall Road, Saidpur Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2024.