RAWALPINDI: Red alert had been issued on Wednesday to warn the residents about the flood after water level in Nullah Lai rose to high level. Lakes and nullahs are flooded with water after new spell of monsoon rains hit the country. The downpour has caused rise in Rawalpindi’s Nullah Lai water level up to nine feet. Keeping in view the alarming, the authorities have canceled the holidays of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) officials and alerted the people. On the other hand, rainwater has inundated roads in Sialkot and Jhelum, creating difficulties for the locals whereas the deluged streets are also affecting traffic flow. Meanwhile, three to five feet water is witnessed on the roads in Swabi after which the natives have been directed to shift to safe places. PDMA has also sounded the sirens to warn the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government of possible flood. Heavy rainfall in Zhob and its adjoining areas damaged half part of the Mir Ali Bridge. Pakistan Meteoro-logical Department (PMD) has said that the current spell will continue to persist in the country till Thursday. It also stated that dust-thunderstorm and light showers with gusty winds are expected at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Dera Ismail Khan, Sahiwal, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Published in Daily Times, July 13th , 2017.