Scattered showers clog streets, bring down mercury

LAHORE:

Brief and scattered rains turned weather pleasant on Sunday afternoon.

Rain was reported in several parts of the city between noon and 2pm. Citizens were spotted running for cover under trees, the metro bus track and bus stands when the rain started.

Traffic was suspended in areas submerged in rainwater. Rainwater accumulation was reported at Lakshmi Chowk, The Mall, Abid Market and Johar Town.

Rizwan Ahmed, a commuter stuck in a traffic jam near Abid Market, said, “Rain for over an hour exposes tall claims of authorities of improving infrastructure. Many low-lying areas of the city are submerged as soon as it starts raining.” He said the government had spent billions of rupees on new roads in the city but had failed to address rainwater accumulation.

Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) spokesman Imtiaz Mujtaba Ghouri told The Express Tribune that teams had been sent to low-lying areas to drain out the water.

“This was not a heavy downpour and many parts of the city were not affected,” he said.

He said 300 WASA workers had been on duty to cope with emergencies on Sunday. He said water drainage at Lakshmi Chowk was supervised by an SDO. He said the SDO had been provided 15 additional workers to clear the area. Scores of families headed to parks after the rain subsided.  Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Riaz said over 27mm rain was recorded in Shadman. He said more rain was expected on Monday and Tuesday.

He said mercury level was expected to drop further after the rain spell.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st,  2015.