Rainwater submerges low-lying areas in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Heavy rains caused drainage channels to overflow on Monday and several low-lying areas got submerged in the provincial capital.

Continuous rainfall flooded various parts of the city, affecting homes and trapping residents.Areas like Charsadda Road, Budhni, and Warsak Road, Kohati Gate, , Sakhi Bridge, and Sardar Ahmad Jan Colony were seen water entering houses, causing inconvenience to the inhabitants.

The Rescue 1122 teams used boats to shift people from Sardar Ahmed Jan Colony which got flooded due to heavy heavy rain. The accumulation of water on roads in localities like Gulbahar, Gulberg, University Road, and Sher Shah Suri Road compounded the difficulties for residents, affecting traffic flow. The two points at the defunct railway track that connect the Gulberg with Saddar were inundated by the rainwater. The commuters had to face a lot of problems in reaching their destinations.

Even the Bus Rapid Transit station at Saddar near the Gharbi Police Station was flooded and the commuters had to face difficulties. Rainwater was accumulated at the BRT corridor at Hashtnagri as well.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecasted rainfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the next few days. Chief Minister Ali Amin directed all relevant authorities, including district administrations, relief department, and rescue services, to remain on high alert.

The forecast from the provincial Meteorological Department here stated that Kabul River was likely to be in high flood during the next 48 hours.A spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that the Panjkora River was in high flood at Dir, while the Swat River remained in high flood at Khawazakhela and Munda Headworks.

According to environmental experts, the significant rainfall experienced in April was uncommon in the country and was being termed a result of climate change. Just two years ago, the country faced a heatwave during March and April, whereas now it is experiencing heavy rainfall.

Climate change had previously led to severe flooding in 2022, which resulted in the swelling of rivers and the inundation of a third of Pakistan’s territory. Those floods had claimed the lives of more than 1,500 people.