The Pakistan Meteorological Department warns that another round of heavy rain is expected over the next 24 hours.
Residents stand outside their partially submerged house while waiting to evacuate a flooded area, following monsoon rains and rising waters of the Chenab River, in Jalalpur Pirwala, Punjab. Photo: REUTERS
Heavy monsoon rains flooded several neighborhoods in Lahore on Wednesday, exposing weaknesses in the city’s urban drainage system: 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 downpours left major thoroughfares, including Lakshmi Chowk, Expo Center Road, Lawrence Road, Badami Bagh, Safanwala Chowk and low-lying residential areas, under several meters of water. Vehicles remained stranded on flooded roads, while commuters were stranded for hours as traffic moved at a slow pace in the provincial capital.
At Lakshmi Chowk, floodwaters transformed the busy intersection into what residents described as a virtual urban lake. Water also remained on sections of Expo Center Road well after the rain stopped, raising new questions about the effectiveness of the city’s drainage infrastructure, despite repeated official assurances of their readiness.
The Punjab government, however, 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 released from the main reservoir areas and underground passages within a few hours, while drainage operations were carried out simultaneously in 41 districts. The authorities also claimed that the rainwater accumulated in Gujrat city was drained away within three hours.
The PDMA reported that Gujranwala received the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours with 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 that medium flood continued at Marala Dam on Chenab River, where the inflow reached 224,496 cusecs and the outflow rose to 206,496 cusecs. Qadirabad Dam also experienced a medium flood, while a low-level flood persisted at Khanki Dam. Water flows from other rivers and dams remained within normal limits, officials said.
The PDMA said 17 people lost their lives and 107 others were injured in rain-related incidents since the start of the monsoon season. Of the deaths, 12 were due to the collapse of dilapidated buildings, two to lightning and three to electrocution.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that another round of widespread heavy rain is expected over the next 24 hours in Lahore and other parts of Punjab, as well as in Kashmir and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region. The department warned that urban flooding, flash flooding in local waterways and landslides in Murree and Galiyat remain possible, urging authorities and the public to take precautionary measures.
