Torrential monsoon rains lashed major cities across Punjab and parts of Karachi on Monday, paralyzing urban life as drainage systems failed to cope with the downpour, 24NewsHD TV reported on Monday.
According to reports issued by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), several localities in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Chiniot recorded exceptionally high rainfall, resulting in urban flooding, traffic disruption, and widespread inconvenience for residents.
In Lahore, WASA recorded varying rainfall levels across different parts of the city.
Lakshmi Chowk received 62 mm of rain, Upper Mall 23 mm, Mughalpura 14.5 mm, Tajpura 16.5 mm, Nishtar Town 17 mm, and Chowk Na Khuda 59.5 mm.
Gulberg’s head office registered 12.5 mm, Jail Road 4.5 mm, and the airport area 1.5 mm.
Among the heaviest-hit spots were Pani Wala Talab with 83 mm, Farrukh Abad 66.5 mm, Samanabad 47.5 mm, Shadipura 48 mm, Gulshan Ravi 43 mm, and Iqbal Town 40 mm.
Localities such as Sanda, Islampura, Chauburji, and Ravi Road, along with busy commercial centers like Anarkali, Lakshmi Chowk, and Tollinton Market, experienced intense rainfall, which submerged low-lying areas and caused severe waterlogging.
Faisalabad, however, bore the brunt of the heaviest rainfall in three decades.
WASA confirmed that Gulam Muhammad Abad recorded a staggering 186 mm of rain, followed by Allama Iqbal Colony at 175 mm, Gulistan Colony at 170 mm, Jail Road at 167 mm, and Dogar Basti and Madina Town with 154 mm each.
This year’s rainfall surpassed previous years’ records, with WASA noting that the last time Faisalabad experienced such intensity was in 1961, when 264 mm of rain fell in a single day.
In recent years, the city recorded much lower figures: 49 mm in 2019, 54 mm in 2020, 132 mm in 2021, 82 mm in 2022, 65 mm in 2023, and 142 mm earlier in 2024.
In Chiniot, torrential rains submerged both residential areas and major roads, leaving large parts of the city waterlogged.
Areas including Jhang Road, MC Chowk, Furniture Market, Thana City, Sadar, Court Kacheri, Alamgir Road, and Sargodha Road Bypass were inundated. Residents of neighborhoods such as Khairabad, Sherabad, Ghaforabad, Osmanabad, and Samanabad complained that their streets had turned into ponds, with no outlet for drainage.
Businesses remained closed in several markets due to flooding, while residents expressed frustration over repeated failures to address the city’s drainage issues.
Karachi also witnessed heavy downpours, with rains reported in Surjani Town, North Nazimabad, Manghopir, and Nazimabad, where strong winds accompanied the showers.