Urban flooding alert issued for Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: An urban flooding alert was issued Tuesday by the federal capital’s administration over possible flooding caused by rains expected to lash the city this week.

The Islamabad administration in the alert said Ghauri Town, Soan Gardens, and Sectors I-8 and I-9 were forecast to be inundated with rainwater following the heavy rains.

It further said that the Soan and Korang rivers, as well as the Simply and Rawal dams, near Islamabad and Rawalpindi, were expected to flood during the ongoing week

Flooding was also feared to occur in the Kutchi abaadis (slums) in Sectors F-9, G-6, G-8, H-9, and I-9, as well as Khanna Pul, Ghauri Town, and Soan, the administration added.

It warned that opening the Simply and Rawal dams’ spillways would likely inundate the Soan and Korang rivers and disrupt electricity, water, and sewerage services in the areas.

The Islamabad administration has imposed an emergency in the federal capital’s hospitals ahead of possible destruction due to the rains forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and noted that local schools would be used as relief camps in case of flooding.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast another monsoon spell with strong winds and thundershowers in parts of Pakistan.

Heavy rains are expected in Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, and Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Islamabad received heavy rains last night.

The heavy rains lashed most parts of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab and Toba Tek Singh.