Heavy Monsoon Rain Floods Lahore Roads

Heavy monsoon rain lashed Lahore on Thursday, leaving large parts of the city waterlogged and disrupting daily movement for commuters, according to Dawn and local authorities cited in the report. Rainwater accumulated on major roads, intersections and underpasses across the provincial capital, slowing traffic and making travel difficult in several neighbourhoods. The report said residents faced severe inconvenience where standing water remained on streets and submerged key routes, despite claims from the district administration and the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore that drainage work was under way on an emergency basis. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said Lahore received 343 millimetres of rain over the past 48 hours and warned of possible urban flooding during the second spell of monsoon rains. That amount of rainfall, in a densely built city, can quickly overwhelm drainage systems, especially in low-lying areas and places where stormwater channels struggle to keep pace with intense showers. The impact was not limited to a few isolated roads. The report said rainwater had gathered at more than 130 locations across the city, affecting traffic movement in several areas. Among the worst-hit were low-lying localities, major thoroughfares and underpasses, which were either flooded or temporarily closed. In DHA Phases 1 to 5, traffic was disrupted at multiple points. Water reportedly accumulated between Defence Mor and A Block Checkpost, forcing vehicles to move slowly through around two feet of standing water. Ghazi Underpass and Masjid Chowk Underpass were closed because of the waterlogging, and traffic was diverted to alternate routes. Movement was also affected on routes linking Lalak Jan Chowk and LUMS Road, Watain Chowk and LUMS, Main Boulevard DHA, and the stretch from Masjid Chowk to Ghazi Chowk. Diversions through Z Block and other side roads were put in place as authorities tried to ease congestion. Other affected areas included Harbanspura, Mall Road, Cooper Road, Lakshmi Chowk and Chouburji Chowk, where WASA teams were carrying out drainage operations. Even so, the report suggests that many residents continued to experience delays and difficulty reaching their destinations as rainwater remained on the roads. For Lahore, the episode is another reminder of how quickly heavy monsoon spells can affect routine life in the city. Waterlogging tends to bring the biggest disruption not only to motorists but also to school runs, work commutes, emergency travel and deliveries, especially when underpasses and key traffic corridors are hit. What remains unclear from the available report is how long drainage work took in the hardest-hit locations and whether more rain was expected later in the day. The PDMA warning of possible urban flooding suggests the situation could remain volatile if the monsoon system continues to intensify. For now, the immediate picture is of a city struggling with movement after a heavy spell of rain exposed familiar drainage pressures once again.

Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017831/heavy-monsoon-rains-lash-lahore-disrupt-routine-life