Daily Times

At least seven people were killed when record-breaking rain lashed Lahore on Wednesday, causing urban flooding and damage to infrastructure in several areas. The showers broke a 30-year-old record as the city received over 290mm of rain within a span of 10 hours.

“Three people were electrocuted, two died after roofs collapsed, and a child drowned after rainwater accumulated,” Punjab interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi told journalists in Lahore. In an update on his official Twitter handle, the interim CM said the rain death toll rose to seven.

The metropolis received 291mm of rain, during which more than a dozen areas recorded more than 200mm of rain, Commissioner Lahore Mohammad Ali Randhawa said, adding this is happening due to climate change and strong monsoon. “Earlier this year, Lahore received the maximum rainfall of 256 mm on June 26 while in 2022, 238mm of rain was recorded in Lahore,” Randhawa said, adding that in 2018, 288mm of rain was recorded in Lahore, adding the city has not received so much rain in such a short period of time in the last 30 years.

Latest figures released by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) showed that more than 200 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in parts of the city over 10 hours.

The data showed that the highest amount of rainfall (291mm) was recorded in Lakshmi Chowk, followed by 277mm in Nishter Town and 270mm in Qurtaba Chowk. Separately, Gulshan-i-Ravi recorded 268mm, Pani Wala Talab 268mm, Johar Town 260mm, Tajpura 249mm, Farrukhabad 237mm, Iqbal Town 232mm, Mughalpura 215mm, Wasa head office in Gulberg 208mm, Chowk Nakhuda 205mm, Upper Mall 192mm, Samanabad 178mm, Jail Road 145mm and Airport 127mm.

Wasa Managing Director Gufran Ahmed said rainwater across the city would be drained within three to four hours, adding that all the disposal systems were being run at the optimum capacity.

Punjab CM Naqvi said that record-breaking rain had caused urban flooding while the canal overflowed following heavy downpours. “All the cabinet members and administration are in the field to clear the water. I am also monitoring the situation in the field and getting updates from all over Lahore continuously,” the chief minister said as he visited the city to oversee relief operations. Last week, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that moist currents from the Arabian Sea are likely to penetrate in upper parts of the country, and a westerly wave was also likely to enter the upper parts of the country on Monday, causing heavy rainfall from July 4 to 7 across the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took notice of the situation and directed the Punjab caretaker chief minister to immediately mobilise relief teams. “All possible steps should be taken to protect people’s lives and property,” he said.

He also directed the federal government and the National Disaster Management Authority to assist the provincial government if necessary. He directed them to take the necessary steps for warning citizens, arranging alternative traffic routes and draining the rainwater accumulated.

PM Shehbaz also directed authorities to take the necessary steps in other parts of the country receiving rainfall. “The NDMA, in collaboration with the provincial disaster management authorities, should provide assistance,” he said. The premier said that steps should be taken to protect livestock and to transfer citizens living in low-lying areas to safer plains. “Urgent and necessary steps should be taken to prevent urban flooding,” he said.

Shehbaz also directed authorities to mobilise the district administration in all hilly areas, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also instructed authorities to keep the Prime Minister’s Office abreast of all developments.