Pakistan Meteorological Department warns that another spell of heavy rain is expected in the next 24 hours
Residents wait in their partially submerged house to evacuate a flooded area following monsoon rains and rising water levels of the Chenab River, in Jalalpur Pirwala, Punjab. Photo: REUTERS
Heavy monsoon rains flooded several parts of Lahore on Wednesday, exposing weaknesses in the city’s urban drainage system as roads and underpasses were submerged, traffic was disrupted and a motorcyclist was electrocuted after coming into contact with a live wire in accumulated rainwater.
The downpour left major arteries, including Lakshmi Chowk, Expo Center Road, Lawrence Road, Badami Bagh, Safanwala Chowk and low-lying residential areas, under several feet of water. Vehicles were stopped on flooded roads, while travelers were stranded for hours as traffic moved slowly through the provincial capital.
At Lakshmi Chowk, flood water turned the busy intersection into what residents described as a virtual urban lake. Water also remained on sections of Expo Center Road long after the rain stopped, raising new questions about the effectiveness of the city’s drainage infrastructure despite repeated official assurances of preparedness.
However, the Punjab government maintained that its emergency response remained effective. Officials said teams from Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), district administration, Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and other departments were immediately deployed on the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
According to the government, water was cleared from major areas of ponds and underpasses within hours, while drainage operations were carried out simultaneously in 41 districts. Officials also claimed that rainwater accumulated in Gujrat city was removed within three hours.
The PDMA reported that Gujranwala received the highest rainfall during the last 24 hours at 250 millimeters, followed by Sialkot (139 mm), Mandi Bahauddin (138 mm), Narowal (117 mm), Hafizabad (85 mm), Chakwal (70 mm) and Okara (64 mm).
Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department said medium flooding continued at Marala Barrage on Chenab River, where the inflow reached 224,496 cusecs and the outflow was 206,496 cusecs. Qadirabad Barrage was also experiencing medium flooding, while low level flooding persisted in Khanki Barrage. Water flows in other rivers and dams remained within normal limits, officials said.
The PDMA said 17 people have lost their lives and 107 others have been injured in rain-related incidents since the start of the monsoon season. Of the deaths, 12 were due to the collapse of ruined buildings, two to lightning strikes and three to electrocution.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that another spell of widespread heavy rain is expected over the next 24 hours in Lahore and other parts of Punjab, as well as Kashmir and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region. The department warned that urban flooding, flash flooding in local streams and landslides in Murree and Galiyat remain possible, and urged authorities and the public to take precautionary measures.
