Hundreds of people remain stranded as authorities warn of widespread heavy rain across Punjab.
WATER EVERYWHERE: Rescuers scour submerged streets to evacuate residents of Pathan Colony in Ferozewala Tehsil. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE’:
LAHORE
A new monsoon expected to sweep across Punjab from Wednesday (today) has heightened fears of urban flooding, flash floods and landslides, even as dozens of villages in Ferozewala tehsil remain submerged after rising river waters left hundreds of families stranded.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasts widespread rain and thunderstorms across Punjab and other parts of the country from July 29 to August 5, with scattered heavy to very heavy falls expected in several districts.
Monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are expected to enter the upper and central parts of the country, while a westerly wave affecting northern areas is expected to strengthen from August 1, according to weather experts.
According to the forecast, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Okara, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Khushab, Mianwali, Layyah, Bhakkar, Noorpur Thal, Sargodha, Sahiwal and Pakpattan are expected to receive rains with occasional intervals till August 4, while southern districts including Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur are expected to receive rains from July 31 to August 3.
The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has ordered provincial departments and district administrations to remain on alert, warning of possible urban flooding in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan.
The PDMA also warned that Murree, Galliyat and other mountainous areas may face landslides, while flash floods may occur in local streams and nullahs in Kashmir, northeast Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan and northeast Balochistan.
PDMA Director General Umar Mela asked the commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure advance preparations, saying the rainfall could increase the flow of water in the eastern rivers and adjoining nullahs.
Citizens have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel during bad weather, stay away from dilapidated and mud houses, seek shelter during thunderstorms and keep children away from low-lying areas, stagnant water, electric wires and poles.
Punjab Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal also directed all Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASAs) to remain on alert throughout the forecast period. The officials have been directed to maintain close coordination with district administrations, ensure disposal stations, pumps and machines remain fully operational and keep field staff deployed in case of rain.
Authorities have also been tasked with implementing safety measures at construction sites by cordoning off open-cast mines and installing barriers and warning signs.
The warning comes as floods continue to hit Ferozewala tehsil, where dozens of villages were inundated after an embankment along the seasonal Bhir Nullah river burst. According to the PDMA, the flow of River Ravi at Shahdara remains within the normal range, but seasonal river floods have submerged dozens of villages and settlements under several meters of water. Authorities said persistent rainfall pushed water levels even higher, intensifying residents’ concerns.
The flooding worsened after the water level rose by another two to three feet, cutting off Pathan Colony from Lahore’s GT Road and leaving hundreds of families stranded in flooded houses. At least three children died in flood-related incidents, while several meters of floodwater submerged the towns of Rachna, Rana, Pathan Colony, Kot Abdul Malik, suburban areas of Kala Shah Kaku, Muradpur and Jamke Cheema.
Residents said floodwaters entered residential areas after protective levees were breached or overtaken by seasonal swollen rivers, forcing many families to move women, children and the elderly to safer locations while some men stayed behind to guard their homes.
“Electricity has remained suspended in the area for the past four days as floodwaters continue to rise,” said Muhammad Riaz, a resident of Pathan Colony. He said his family had moved to his relatives’ house, but he stayed behind to protect his household belongings from possible theft.
Rashidan Bibi said floodwaters destroyed most of his belongings. “My life savings have been washed away and no government assistance is visible,” she said.
Abdul Rehman said floodwaters entered the neighborhood suddenly overnight, forcing families to hastily flee and abandon much of their belongings, while Muhammad Saleem of Rachna town said water levels had shown no signs of receding, leaving daily life paralyzed and creating shortages of food and drinking water.
Rescue and relief operations continue with Rescue 1122 and other social organizations using boats to evacuate stranded residents and distribute cooked food, dry rations, drinking water and other essential supplies.
Residents, however, complained that despite official claims that they were monitoring the flood situation using drones, they were not warned in time and claimed that losses could have been reduced if seasonal drains had been cleared and encroachments removed before the monsoon.
They also said no senior government or district administration officials had yet visited the affected localities and warned that the forecast of further monsoon rains could significantly worsen flooding in already inundated areas.
