Heavy rain leaves twin cities marooned

Rawalpindi records historic 201mm rainfall; local holiday declared for Wednesday (today) Floodwaters engulf the streets of Dhoke Ratta in Rawalpindi as Nullah Leh swells dangerously after torrential early-morning rain, inundating homes and warehouses. PHOTO: AGHA MEHROZ/EXPRESS Torrential rain paralysed normal life in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with the water level in Nullah Leh rising to a dangerously high level, prompting the sounding of warning sirens and immediate evacuation orders for residents of low-lying areas. A local holiday was also declared in Rawalpindi for Wednesday (today). More than 200 millimetres of rain was recorded in Rawalpindi. Similar rainfall had previously been recorded in the city in 2010, with the latest downpour breaking a 16-year rainfall record. Torrential rain began at around 3:30am on the night between Monday and Tuesday. As a result, the water level in Nullah Leh rose to 29 feet at Katarian Bridge and 23.5 feet at Gawalmandi. Warning sirens were sounded, causing panic among residents, while people living along the banks of the nullah and in low-lying areas began evacuating their homes. Continuous rainfall caused water to enter several low-lying areas of Rawalpindi, including Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Dhok Najju, Ziaul Haq Colony, Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Arya Mohalla, Chaman Zar, Muslim Town, Sadiqabad, Old Airport and Gulzar-e-Quaid. Vehicles and motorcycles parked in streets were submerged, while floodwater also entered homes, causing heavy losses to residents and disrupting normal life. As the water level in Nullah Leh continued to rise, warning sirens were sounded and residents of low-lying areas along its banks were directed to evacuate immediately. The administration said a major flood surge was moving towards Rawalpindi from Islamabad and, in view of the threat, orders had been issued for the evacuation of low-lying settlements. A rain alert was issued because of heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Nullah Leh. The administration warned that further rainfall could cause the water level to rise rapidly and increase the risk of a flood surge. All relevant departments were placed on alert. Rainfall recorded at different locations in the twin cities included 105mm in Saidpur, 157mm in Golra, 72mm in Bokra, 155mm at the Pakistan Meteorological Department station, 201mm in Shamsabad, 78mm at Kachehri, 87mm in Pirwadhai and 187mm in New Katarian. After the rain stopped, the water level in Nullah Leh began to decline gradually, causing floodwater to recede from the affected low-lying areas. Residents expressed relief and thanked God as the situation began to improve. Following the cessation of rain, various WASA teams launched an operation to drain water from the low-lying areas using machinery under the supervision of WASA Managing Director Azizullah Khan. The MD said the operation would continue until water had been drained from all low-lying areas. Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) Chief Water Engineer Atiqur Rehman Chaudhry told The Express Tribune that, in terms of rainfall intensity, Rawalpindi had experienced a 16-year record.