Heavy rain batters Lahore, causes urban flooding & casualties
The rain began at 5:15 am and persisted through the day with intervals, severely disrupting daily life across Lahore. According to the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore, the highest recorded rainfall was 171mm in Pani Wala Talab, followed by 169mm in Iqbal Town, 167mm in Tajpura, 135mm in Mughalpura, and 133mm in Lakshmi Chowk.
Low-lying areas and major traffic arteries were submerged, causing difficulties for commuters. Tragic incidents were also reported across the city. In Harbanspura, two children died after being electrocuted. In Muridwal, Thokar Niaz Beg, five members of a family lost their lives and two others were injured when the roof of their house collapsed. Another roof collapse in Raiwind claimed three lives and left several injured.
The WASA teams remained active throughout the day to manage the situation. WASA Director General Tayyab Farid and WASA Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed inspected drainage operations at key locations including Liberty Chowk, Kalma Chowk, Garden Town, Gaddafi Stadium, and Main Boulevard Gulberg. They directed that all main, secondary, and tertiary roads be thoroughly cleaned and cleared.
According to WASA, Lahore received an average of 122.2mm of rainfall overnight. Areas such as Shah Jamal, Waris Road, GPO Chowk, Nabha Road, Railway Station, Ali Block (Garden Town), Bhati Gate, Wahdat Road, Waris Colony, Tikka Chowk, and Allah Ho Chowk were cleared during the rain. Once the rain subsided, post-rain clearing operations continued in Ek Moria, Qurtaba Chowk, Lyton Road, Laxmi Chowk, Karim Park, and Rasool Park.
The Lahore district administration also remained actively engaged. Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza stayed in the field through the night, personally monitoring drainage work at key locations. The administration reported that major roads and drainage stations remained operational, ensuring continued traffic flow.
Key underpasses, including Aik Moria Pull, Chamra Mandi Road, and Nakhuda Chowk, were swiftly cleared. In Nishtar Town, LWMC teams operated along Ferozepur Road, while WASA personnel and pumping systems functioned at full capacity. At the Sabzi Mandi Disposal Station, all four pumps were operational, ensuring uninterrupted water removal. Additionally, cleaning work at Nullah Bhagatpura was resumed.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Business Recorder
IESCO chief urges consumers for precautions during rains
ISLAMABAD: Chairman IESCO Dr Tahir Masood has requested the esteemed consumers regarding the ongoing rains in the IESCO region that IESCO administration is making every effort to take all measures to protect consumers from life and financial losses due to electrical accidents. In this regard, consumers are also requested to maintain a proper distance from electrical wires, poles, transformers, meters and other electrical equipment during rain. Never touch electrical equipment with wet hands or body. Use rubber shoes while using electrical equipment. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business Recorder
PM places NDMA on red alert
ISLAMABAD: As severe monsoon flooding continues to wreak havoc across the country, submerging some of the most upscale private housing societies, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday placed disaster management authorities on red alert. In an official statement, the PM ordered the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to immediately intensify rescue efforts, emphasising the need for close and continuous coordination with provincial governments to effectively tackle the escalating crisis. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Monsoon deluge cripples Pindi
A laborer carries sacks of onions while wading through a flooded street after heavy monsoon rains in Lahore on July 16, 2025. Photo: AFP A devastating spell of torrential rain on Wednesday night and throughout Thursday left the entire city of Rawalpindi submerged. Streets, markets, and neighbourhoods turned into virtual lakes, presenting scenes reminiscent of Venice. A prolonged 19-hour power outage further crippled the city, rendering the water supply system inoperative. Traffic ground to a halt across all major roads and commercial centres. The Rs140 million allocated for the cleaning of Nullah Leh and 15 stormwater drains was effectively swept away by the floods. The district administration and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) were rendered entirely ineffective and powerless, prompting the deployment of Pakistan Army. With the city inundated and drainage systems completely overwhelmed, the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner declared an emergency public holiday at 11am on Thursday, resulting in the closure of all government offices. A flood emergency was enforced immediately, and all leaves for relevant officials were suspended. Due to excessive flooding, all underpassesboth new and oldhad to be shut down. Major roads including Mall Road, Murree Road, Rawal Road, and Raja Bazaar were completely submerged, paralysing commercial activity. In low-lying areas, streets and underpasses remained under three to five feet of water for nearly 15 hours. The city's administrative bodiesincluding WASA, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), and the District Councilcompletely failed to drain the accumulated water. Floodwaters entered homes, shops, and business premises, causing property damage estimated in the millions. Vehicles parked in garages, lawns, and streets were submerged under up to two feet of water, leaving hundreds of cars inoperable due to engine failure. Senior officialsincluding the Commissioner, Deputy and Assistant Commissioners, federal and provincial ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and officers from WASA and the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC)avoided visiting flood-affected areas, reportedly out of fear of public backlash. As has become routine, officials were seen posing for photographs and selfies on the Gawalmandi Bridge while gesturing toward the floodingbefore quickly departing. Ironically, these same officials had recently claimed that Rs140m had been used to clean Nullah Leh and other storm drains. Yet, in the wake of the city's submersion, they avoided media inquiries throughout the day. Two dead, several rescued Meanwhile, two people were killed and two others injured as torrential rains triggered flash floods, caused roof collapses, and led to multiple drowning incidents. Rescue operations are ongoing to locate a child and another person who were swept away in rainwater drains. One body has been recovered so far. Heavy rainfall on Thursday caused severe flooding in Nullah Leh, other seasonal streams, and the River Soan, leading to flood-like conditions in several areas.
