Rains wreaks havoc in Lahore, Dadu

LAHORE/DADU: Heavy but scattered rain wreaked havoc in most of the northern and southern parts of provincial metropolis here Monday. Met office predicted more rain during the next 24 hours.

Wasa officials said that highest rain 107mm was recorded at Tajpura, 105mm at Johar Town, 101mm at Pani Wala Talab, 98mm at Nishter Town, 87mm at Farrukhabad, 82.8mm rain at airport, 81mm each at Lakshmi Chowk and Upper Mall, 76mm at Samanabad, 73.5mm at Gulshan-e-Ravi, 65mm at Chowk Nakhuda, 60mm at Iqbal Town, 58mm at Punjab University and 50mm rain at Jail Road.

The rain, which started early morning turned majority of the city roads into ponds within minutes. Long queues of vehicles were witnessed on all major city roads while roads leading to several public hospitals, including Mayo Hospital, Lady Willingdon, Lady Aitcheson and Lahore Dental Hospital were inundated and caused problems for patients in reaching the hospitals.

Director General LDA, Wasa MD, DC Lahore and other senior officials remained in the field. Wasa MD told this scribe that all the 22 sore points would be cleared until evening. He said a record rain of 107mm was recorded in the city. The sore points, including Lakshmi Chowk, Haji Camp, Firdous Market, Kashmir Road, GPO, Sheranwala Gate, Aik Moriya Pull, Mozang, Qartaba Chowk, Lawrence Road and Ichhra were cleared from rainwater. Areas, including Railway Road near Aik Moriya Pull, Davis Road, Canal Bank Road (Outside Prime Minister’s residence at Zaman Park), Abbot Road, The Mall, Jail Road and etc looked like lakes and remained inundated in ankle-deep stagnant rainwater for hours causing serious inconvenience to road users besides causing traffic blockage at major crossings across the city. Rainwater also accumulated in many graveyards, including Miani Sahib, Mian Mir Sahib, Township, Samsani (Johar Town), Township, Faisal Town adjacent to Kotha Pind and Pind Rajputan graveyards where many graves caved in.

Meanwhile, Met office said that monsoon currents are penetrating in upper parts of the country. Westerly wave is also affecting upper parts of the country. They predicted that rain, wind, thundershowers are expected in Kashmir, Islamabad, upper/central Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Hot and humid weather is expected elsewhere in the country.

Rainfall was also recorded in several cities, including Narowal 54mm, Sialkot (Airport 42), Islamabad (Golra 24, Airport 17, Zero Point 12, Saidpur 09, Bokra 06), Chakwal 15, Rawalpindi (Shamsabad 14, Chaklala 04), Gujranwala 12, Murree 07, Gujrat, Attock 03, Malam Jabba 39, Balakot 34, Cherat 14, Takht Bai 07, Kakul 04, Pattan 03, Dir (Lower, Upper 02), Saidu Sharif, Kalam 02, Peshawar 01, Muzaffarabad 23, Kotli, Rawalakot 03, Garhi Dupatta 01, Quetta (Observatory 14, Smungli 04), Khuzdar 12, Kalat 07, Turbat 05, Ormara 01, Bunji 04, Skardu 02, Astore 01, Thatta 03 and Karachi 01.

Monday’s maximum temperature was recorded at DI Khan where mercury reached 43°C while in Lahore, it was 32.5°C and minimum was 24.5°C.

Meanwhile, more than 80 villages in Kachho area of Dadu district have been submerged in Nai Gaj River flood during three days till Monday evening while land route of 200 villages with Dadu and Johi has been disconnected. Thousands of people are living under open sky who need immediate food and other relief supplies from the government.

Pakistan Army personnel and district administration staff have shifted stranded people to the safe areas. The district administration has set up medical camps at different locations but people direly need food supplies and clothing.