The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday issued a flood alert for Rawalpindi’s Leh Nullah as the sixth spell of monsoon rains continued in Islamabad and Rawalpindi for a third, consecutive day.
In a statement, the Met Office said the heavy rainfall was expected to continue for several hours and was likely to result in the accumulation of water in low-lying areas and raise the water levels in local drains, particularly Leh Nullah. Issuing a flood alert for Leh Nullah, it noted water levels at Kattarian and Gawalmandi had exceeded the designated thresholds.
The PMD said the water level in Leh Nullah had increased to 21 feet at Kattarian and 16 feet at Gawalmandi at 6:30 a.m. before reducing slightly by 11:30 a.m. However, the rain persists, raising fears of flooding. Already, per reports, several parts of Rawalpindi are inundated with WASA officials saying they are waiting for the rain to subside so they can tackle drainage. The situation has resulted in cars being submerged and houses inundated as the drainage system falls short of coping with the deluge.
In its statement, the Met Office has urged authorities to arrange for the evacuation of residents of low-lying areas, stressing on the need for precautionary measures if the situation worsens.
According to the PMD, 90-144mm of rain has been recorded at various parts of Rawalpindi.