Pre-monsoon rain exposes drainage failures

The very first heavy pre-monsoon rain, which lashed the city on the night between Saturday and Sunday, exposed the tall claims of cleanliness and drainage made by the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), and the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC).

The intense downpour that occurred on the night between Saturday and Sunday wreaked havoc across the city, crippling the sanitation system.

Streets and neighbourhoods were flooded with three to four feet of rain and sewage water, particularly submerging low-lying areas. Once the rain stopped in the morning, it left behind layers of sludge and mud, ranging from three to six inches thick, in the streets, along with dead rats, lizards, and insects scattered throughout.

As the Sunday sun rose, the smell of decaying animals and sewage spread across neighbourhoods, raising serious public health concerns.

Residents fear the outbreak of diseases. Areas worst affected included Amarpura, Chah Sultan, Mukha Singh Estate, Dhok Khaba, Dhok Elahi Bakhsh, Arya Mohalla, Fazalabad, Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Tahmaspabad, Pirwadhai, Dhok Hassu, Dhok Naju, Zia-ul-Haq Colony, Dhok Ratta, Ganj Mandi, Peoples Colony, Range Road, Sheron Colony, and riverbank areas near Soan River, where mud made movement nearly impossible.

In all these areas, water entered homes up to one foot deep, and vehicles parked in streets were flooded, rendering them non-functional. Owners struggled to restart them using battery recharges and push-starts. Fear gripped low-lying residents, who on Sunday began moving their valuable household items and even pets to safer places.

All city underpasses were submerged, making earlier promises of drainage systems and installed machinery appear hollow. Both sides of the roads remained waterlogged, and 65 mm of rain was recorded in the twin cities overnight.

While Saturday night's rain had cooled the temperature, the intense Sunday heat and day-long power outage left residents sweltering. The power cut lasted 18 to 20 hours, also crippling the water supply system.

Although the heavy rain flushed out much of the sewage from the drains, it also carried back the previously cleaned silt and garbage into the main storm drains and Nullah Leh.

Meanwhile, medical experts have urged authorities to immediately carry out disinfectant sprays in streets filled with sewage, filth, and sludge to prevent the spread of diseases. Residents have appealed to the RWMC to urgently clean the affected streets and remove the mud and dead animals.

RWMC's spokesperson said that Sunday was a holiday and that clean-up operations in low-lying areas would commence today (Monday).

Residents Asif Khan, Chaudhry Imran, and Dr Ghori lamented, "The monsoon hasn't even properly started, and this is already the situation. Instead of mere verbal promises, WASA and municipal officials must take real, on-ground action to ensure proper drainage and sanitation."