Flood alert in Rawalpindi, Islamabad due to heavy rain

Low-lying districts in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other parts of the country have been inundated due to heavy rainfall, forcing authorities to begin evacuating inhabitants from neighbourhoods around Nullah Lai as water levels reached unsafe levels.

Due to the rain which started last nite and continued till Wednesday morning, the water level of Nullah Lai continued to rise. Flooding fears prompted the twin cities to activate their flood warning sirens.

The officials said the water level in Kattarian was 22 feet and in Gawalmandi 19 feet.

The district administration of Rawalpindi has requested the Pakistan Army to aid in the emergency situation.

Authorities have recommended residents to stay away from Nullah Lai and other streams and low-lying regions and take preventive precautions. The state of emergency continues in the vulnerable areas.

Average rainfall was some 76 mm in the twin cities. Golra recorded the maximum rainfall of 114mm in Islamabad followed by Saidpur 71mm, PMD H-8 57mm and Bokra-I-12 46mm.

In Rawalpindi, New Katarian had 59mm of rain, Pirwadhai 51mm and Shamsabad and Gawalmandi 45mm apiece. About 33mm was recorded near Kacheri-Chaklala.

The water level in Nullah Lai has started receding but alert is still on in Kattarian, Gawalmandi.

The Met Department has expected further rain in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and portions of Punjab as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Flood Forecasting Division in Lahore said low-level flooding was observed at the Kalabagh and Guddu barrages on the Indus River, while the situation in other rivers was normal.