F.P. Report
LAHORE: Heavy rains hit several Punjab cities, including Lahore, on Saturday, affecting business and social life. Rain was also reported in Bhakkar, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Okara, and adjacent areas where it has turned the weather pleasant and brought the mercury considerably down in these areas.
In Lahore, light-to-heavy rain continues in different areas including Abbot Road, Davis Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Mall Raod, Shimla Pahari, Data Darbar, Gulshan Ravi, Johar Town, Gulberg, Samanabad, Baghbanpura, Garhi Shahu and Burki. The highest rainfall of 173 millimeters was recorded I Gulshan-e-Ravi, with eight areas of Lahore, including Lakshmi Chowk, Nisthar Town and Qurtaba Chowk, receiving above 100mm rain so far.
It was recorded 88mm at Jail Road, 84mm at airport, 87mm in Gulberg, 95mm at Upper Mall while Pani Wala Talab recorded 141mm rainfall. The rain however caused water accumulation on various roads, disrupting traffic flow. It has also inundated low-lying areas in Lahore, Kasur and other cities with power outage in several areas.
Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning: Islamabad and Quetta twenty-six degree centigrade, Lahore and Peshawar twenty-nine, Karachi thirty, Gilgit twenty-two, Murree eighteen and Muzaffarabad twenty-five degree centigrade.
Water from River Ravi enters Lahore following heavy monsoon rain: Following heavy monsoon showers in Lahore and other parts of Punjab in recent days, water from River Ravi entered surrounding localities as well as fields on Saturday.
The river burst its banks at Chuhng after which the locality as well as other localities were submerged under water. Water entered dozens of villages at Arifwala and destroyed crops over thousands of acres of land after water level in River Sutlej rose to 20-foot. Rescue personnel said that so far over 1,700 people had been shifted to safer locations, while all adjoining localities had been evacuated.
Following heavy monsoon rains at Kot Addu, River Indus has also begun swelling. According to the irrigation department, following rise in the water level at Chashma Barrage, the river is in low flood. Similarly, water level is also rising at Taunsa, where an increase by 21, 000 cusecs has been registered during the last 24 hours, and low flood is expected in the next 24 to 36 hours.
The water inflow at Chashma Barrage has been recorded at 346341 while the discharge at 342561. Similarly, water inflow in the river at Taunsa has been recorded at 221754 cusecs, while the discharge at 203754 cusecs. The department has said that 8000 cusecs of water is being released into Muzaffargarh Canal and Dera Ghazi Khan Canal each, while 2,000 cusecs into TP Link Canal.
Likewise, River Indus has burst its banks at Layyah where water has entered nearby fields after floodwater from Chashma Barrage reached the area. Locals have complained that despite the fact that there is deluge in the river every year due to which they have to suffer loss of millions of rupees, the government has done nothing to resolve their issues.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), on the other hand, said that water discharge was expected to increase in River Chenab and River Jhelum in the next two days, while the weather department forecast more rains for Punjab, which would lead to more floods in rivers.
