Peshawar:
A torrential rain spell on Monday made Peshawar a flooded city, flooding roads, markets and residential areas while interrupted public transport and daily life.
The downpour, registered in 52 millimeters by the Department of Meteorology, lasted two hours and submerged key arteries, including Saddar Road, Kohat Road, University Road, Ashraf Road and Charsadda Road.
The markets in Pipal Mandi, Qissa Khwani, Kohati and Shafi Market were seriously affected when floods entered stores, damaging the merchandise worth millions. In Jahangirpura, several points of sale of Chappal Peshawari were also flooded.
The overflowing overflows worsened the situation, pushing dirty water to stores and houses. The residents and merchants spent hours draining the water as the municipal response remained absent. At noon, the city center, including Namak Mandi, Ghanta Ghar, Chowk Yadgar, Pipal Mandi and adjacent areas, resembled a lagoon.
The electricity supply collapsed in many parts of the city, sinking entire neighborhoods in the dark for hours. Panic spread among residents living near channels and streams, since the increase in water forced several families in Budhni, Warsak and the Kabul River belts to evacuate to safer places.
The rapid transit service of the city bus (BRT) also stopped. Several buses were stranded on floods in Hayatabad, Kohat Road and Charsadda Road. Multiple BRT stations, including Peshawar Cantt and University Road, submerged, causing serious inconvenience to travelers.
Private transport was also interrupted, while the main shopping centers remained closed due to floods. The residents criticized the bad drainage system, saying that the “city of the flowers became a city of dirt within a few minutes of the rain.” The normal life in Peshawar remains severely affected since the authorities struggle to restore order after the downpour.
