Heavy rain exposes ‘well preparedness’ of civic body

Rawalpindi :Heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning exposed the tall claims of the city district government as majority of low lying areas were inundated where poor inhabitants kept on draining out rainwater from their houses and shops in the city and cantonment board localities. 

The motorists faced worst kinds of difficulties here at Committee Chowk and Moti Mehal nderpasses because of stranded rainwater.

Water and Sanitation Agency and other city district government officials in recent past made tall claims of finishing the dredging of Nullah Leh expressing the confidence they were ready to cope with any amount of rain during monsoon. However, the heavy downpour on Wednesday night which continued till morning exposed all these tall claims. The localities adjoin Nullah Leh and its tributaries in the city were severely affected by heavy rain.  

The city district government, Rawalpindi issued ‘emergency’ in city and cantonment board areas during heavy rainfall. The deputy commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi Talat Gondal told ‘The News’ that they were well prepared to cope with any situation, as they have established flood relief camps at different points. “I am personally monitoring water level at Nullah Leh,” he claimed. He also advised the gypsies settled along Nullah Leh and Soan River to immediately shift to higher grounds. However, he claimed the situation was completely under control as water level did not cross the red line yet.

The deputy commissioner also said that he has directed concerned authorities included Civil Defence to immediately reach low-lying localities to help out public.

The low-lying areas of Nadeem Colony, Arya Muhallah, Javed Colony, Chamanzar, Bazaar Kallan, Dingi Khoi, Raja Bazaar, Akalgarh, Dhoke Ratta, Ganjmandi, Jamia Masjid Road, Banni Chowk, Sadiqabad, Satellite Town, Commercial Market, College Road, Bohar Bazaar, Naya Mohallah, Raja Bazaar, Mohanpura, Nanakpura, Arjan Nagar, Amarpura were affected in rainwater. Similarly, Adiala Road, Qasim Market areas, Sihala Road, Pirwadhai, PIA Colony, Jan Colony, Shah Faisal Colony, Shah Khalid Colony, Garibabad and Gulistan Colony were also affected during heavy rainfall.

Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director Raja Shaukat said that water sucking vehicles were available at every point to remove rainwater. The water sucking vehicles will remain present at all major points to avoid any untoward situation, he claimed.

The Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) had also disconnected the electricity supply to some of the areas during heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning to avert any untoward incident.

According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), there will be more rain here in Rawalpindi and Islamabad till Thursday night.

It is worth mentioning here that families settled in dilapidated old buildings in city and cantonment board localities are in the state of fear during heavy rainfall but could not migrate due to poverty. It is not easy to migrate as the rent of houses are touching sky, they claimed.

Muhammad Akhtar, a resident of Javed Colony said that around two-foot deep water accumulated on the nearby road and choked the drains of his house. “It took long time to drain out the water from the house.” He also said the whole night they spent reciting verses from the Holy Quran seeking blessing of Almighty Allah. “We have lived in the area for the last of 30 years and every year we face a similar situation during the monsoon but the government never cleared the drains and Leh Nullah.

Muhammad Shafiq Butt, a shopkeeper from Moti Bazaar said that all shopkeepers including me are busy to remove rainwater from shops. Every year in monsoon, we face loss, he said.

The residents of Mohanpura and adjacent areas said that their locality was 10 feet above the bed of Leh Nullah but the choked drains and raised water level in the nullah created problems for them every year.