District admin issues pre-alert for Katarian, Gawalmandi

Rawalpindi : Rawalpindi district administration here on Saturday morning issued pre-alert for Katarian and Gawalmandi areas as water level sensor data showed 12.5 feet in Nullah Leh at Katarian and 9.5 feet at Gawalmandi.

According to a district administration spokesman, rainfall gauging stations on Saturday recorded 47mm rainfall at Saidpur Village, 54mm at Golra, 51mm at Bokra, 60mm at PMD(H-8/2), 45mm at Shamsabad, and 50mm at Chaklala while average rainfall was recorded 52.41mm in basin of Nullah Leh. The water level sensor data showed all clear at around 10.30 AM in the city areas, he added.

He informed that alert is issued for Gawalmandi areas when the water level reaches at 14.1 feet in Nullah Leh while evacuation operation is started on 20 feet water level in the nullah. The spokesman informed that Commissioner Rawal­pindi Division, Noor ul Amin Mengal had instructed the authorities of the administration, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue-1122 to finalise all the arrangements to meet any emergency like situation due to urban flooding in Nullah Leh and other nullahs.

He said, the water level in Nullah Leh was being monitored continuously and the machinery of Water and Sanitation Agency, Rawalpindi had been shifted to low-lying areas. The Commissioner had also directed the PDMA officers to keep the alert system updated and timely inform the people about the water level situation in Nullah Leh.

The WASA authorities were instructed to clear streets and roads and remove stagnant rain water particularly from Ratta Amral, Kattrian, Tipu Road, Dhoke Naju, Gawalmandi, Zia ul Haq Colony and other low-lying areas as soon as possible. All the arrangements were also finalized to shift the people from low-lying areas to safe places in case, water level reached at 20 feet at both the places, he added.

He informed that all the departments concerned including PDMA, Rescue-1122 and Pak-Army were present in low-lying areas to cope any urban flooding situation.

The authorities of WASA had been directed to utilise all available resources and mobilise their teams to remove stagnant rainwater from low-lying areas. The DC also urged the citizens not to stand on the banks of Nullah Leh and other nullahs of the town. Various low-lying areas of Rawalpindi were submerged as heavy rain on Saturday raised the water level in Nullah Leh.

Various areas on Murree Road, Commercial Market, Liaquat Road, Jamia Masjid Road, Sadiqabad, Commercial Market, Chamanzaar, Tipu Road, Nadeem Colony, Dhok Dalal were submerged after the heavy rain. Water also entered homes in some localities. Rainwater accumulated in low-lying areas, squares and intersections in Rawalpindi, also paralysed the drainage system in several areas of city and cantonment. According to a WASA spok­esman, the teams of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) pumped out the accumulated water from the affected areas as WASA had deployed teams in different areas particularly in low-lying areas to clear rainwater.