Drainage woes: Sleepless and hungry, poor residents go

Incessant rains trigger landslides, inundates low-lying areas, slums.

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD:

The third day of incessant rain saw disruptions in civic and commercial life in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and also parts of Murree, where the rain triggered landslides and road blockages.

The abject state of Rawalpindi’s drainage network was on display on Tuesday, as many of the low-lying areas of the city were flooded by rainwater, despite the fact that no rivers or streams had actually flooded.

The residents of Dhoke Chiraghdin recovered the body of a teenage boy who drowned in the swollen Nullah Leh on Monday evening.

Raheemullah, 15, was trying to cross the stream on a makeshift bridge, but was swept away by the strong water current, said Chaman Dad, a maternal uncle of the boy, quoting an eyewitness.

Earlier, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson said navy divers had unsuccessfully combed the bed of the Leh from Pirwadhai to Ratta and also kept watch at the end of the drain near the high court building, where it merges into the Soan River.

Meanwhile, two men were rescued after getting trapped in flood water from the Soan River near Gorakhpur village at Adiala Road. They had gone across the river to collect firewood on Tuesday evening, rescuers and the area police said.

The two Afghan nationals, Gul Dad, 24, and Talib Khan, 22, had crossed the river in the morning to collect wood and as they tried to return, they were trapped by the floodwater, said the staff at Adiala police post.

Rescue 1122 staff used inflatable boats to recover the two men.

Adiala police post in-charge Sub Inspector Muhammad Saboor said the two Afghans lived in Gorakhpur village and had gone across to collect firewood and could not return.

Meanwhile, intermittent rains continued to inundate low lying areas of Rawalpindi including Javaid Colony, Nadeem Colony, Dhoke Khaba, Dhoke Chiragh Din and Gawalmandi.

Rainwater entered houses in low-lying areas, while roads in different areas were flooded, and some newly-built roads took on water damage.

Rawal Road, Kurri Road, Murree Road, Adiala Road and roads in the Harley Street area were flooded, and water drainage equipment was used to dry the courtyards of the newly-constructed Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, which was also flooded.

Katchi abadis worst hit

The katchi abadis in Sector I-11 were even worse off. The populace of one such slum area complained of sleepless nights as leaky roofs and fear that their homes would collapse kept them up all night.

Most of families could not even cook food due to the leaking roof and wet firewood.

Alam Khan saw one of the walls of his house come crashing down, but fortunately, nobody was hurt. His wife, Sakina, said her children had not eaten since Monday because there was no dry place to cook.

Another housewife, Marjana, told The Express Tribune, “My children have not eaten anything since last night because there was no place to cook, and all the firewood we had is soaked.”

The footpaths in the area have transformed into rivers of mud, while the awful smell from flooding sewage lines was noticeable all over the colony.

Heavy and incessant rain also flooded other low-lying areas of the city. Overflowing and clogged drains near other katchi abadis aggravated the situation, with rainwater entering shops and houses.

A motorcycle mechanic in Sitara Market, Sector G-7, was seen bailing water out from his shop, saying everything has been inundated in rainwater. “CDA officials should regularly monitor the drains to avoid accumulation of rainwater in low-lying areas,” he said.

Somewhat surprisingly though, CDA spokesperson Ramzan Sajid said the agency is monitoring the situation, and “the sewerage system of the capital city is well-developed and no complaints regarding any mishap or clogged drains has been received.”

Landslide in Murree

UC Sehr Bagla in Murree was witness to landslides which cut the link between Murree city and the UC. According to local residents, early in the morning, heavy rain in Kohi Village of the UC has badly affected. Former nazim Rafiq Abbasi claimed that five shops, six houses and one school collapsed due to landslides. He said thousands were stranded because of the rain, but fortunately no injuries or casualties were reported.

Murree Assistant Commissioner Tariq Chandio confirmed that the village was affected, and that rescuers were delayed by the rain and snow.  “We are trying our best to reach the spot as soon as we can, but the road closure is making it difficult,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2013.