Traffic chaos as rain floods roads

Citizens of Lahore advised to avoid unnecessary travel

LAHORE:

Torrential monsoon rain inundated more than 130 locations across the city on Thursday, submerging key underpasses, prompting traffic police to advise citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.

The heavy rainfall that began early morning caused widespread waterlogging on major roads and in low-lying areas.

Ghazi and Masjid Chowk Underpass in the Defence area remained closed after getting completely submerged. The traffic was diverted to alternate routes.

Water also accumulated at Lalak Jan Chowk, Watain Chowk and several roads in the DHA, where a number of vehicles broke down due to high water level. Traffic remained slow on several major arteries as water could not be drained promptly.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Abdul Rahim Shirazi visited Defence Mor, Ghazi Underpass, Masjid Chowk Underpass, Walton Road, Ghazi Road and Ferozepur Road to monitor the drainage situation.

Formation of sinkholes on Khayaban-e-Firdousi and a service road at Bhikewal Mor was also reported. The affected areas were cordoned off and traffic was diverted while the relevant departments were asked to do immediate repair work.

The CTO advised motorists to drive cautiously, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, avoid sudden braking and unnecessary overtaking, and refrain from travelling through submerged roads.

Motorcyclists were urged to wear helmets, while citizens were generally advised to stay away from electric poles, transformers and fallen power lines during the rain.

Punjab Traffic DIG Muhammad Waqas Nazir directed chief and district traffic officers across the province to keep emergency response teams and breakdown services ready, and facilitate rescue operations wherever required.

As per an official statement, a large-scale operation for rainwater drainage, rescue and emergency public assistance remained under way across the province.

Drones were also used to monitor rainwater accumulation and facilitate rescue efforts.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed relevant officials to ensure timely drainage of rainwater from residential areas, particularly low-lying localities, narrow streets and markets. She instructed authorities to pay special attention to safety measures concerning dilapidated buildings and unsafe roofs. She appealed to the public to stay away from rivers, streams and canals during the season.

The provincial government stated that modern water disposal stations were operating in Lahore, Gujrat, Jhang and Sialkot. The pumping stations have a capacity of over 200 cusecs. The provincial capital recorded 343 millimetres of rainfall over a 48-hour period,

Drainage was carried out from Mall Road, Club Chowk, Main Boulevard, Liberty Chowk and Ferozepur Road. Water was also cleared from Bank Stop, Qainchi Stop and adjoining sections of Ferozepur Road. Traffic plied in Iqbal Town, Samanabad and surrounding areas following rainwater drainage.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed all relevant departments to utilise every available resource to effectively deal with urban flooding, hill torrents and possible flood emergencies.

Chairing a meeting, she lamented, "People are losing their lives because of the negligence of power distribution companies. Dangling electric wires on utility poles have become a serious threat to human life."

She ordered strict enforcement of a ban on bathing in rivers, dams and barrages, along with drone monitoring of vulnerable sites.

She directed the administration to issue timely public advisories regarding rainfall and flood.

She also ordered that all construction sites secured during the season.

The chief minister instructed district administrations to inspect dilapidated and unsafe buildings and ensure their voluntary evacuation where necessary. She ordered that manholes, drains and roadside pits across the province be properly secured and stressed immediate drainage of water from commercial centres and other public places on a priority basis.