• Warning sirens activated along nullah
• Nine people trapped in rainwater evacuated by Rescue 1122
• Gujar Khan traders lose millions as shops flooded
• Met Office forecasts more rains

RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain early on Monday morning inundated low-lying areas, with rainwater entering shops and houses and damaging people’s belongings in the garrison city.

The Leh Nullah rose to 20 feet at Kattarian Bridge and 18 feet at Gawalmandi Bridge. This forced the local administration to switch on flood-warning sirens so that people around Leh Nullah should move to safer places. However, the siren system went out of order in areas around Pirwadhai.

The heavy rains that started on Sunday night continued till Monday morning in the twin cities. The water level in Leh Nullah rose above the danger mark, causing water to enter nearby residents’ homes.

In Chaklala’s Afzal Town, five people were trapped in their homes after rainwater entered their houses. Rescue teams safely evacuated and shifted them to a safe place.

In Pirwadhai, four people were also trapped in rainwater and evacuated and shifted to a safe place.

Moreover, Army was put on alert and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and Health departments called their officials to deal with any emergency.

In the downtown, rainwater damaged motorcycles and cars parked on main roads in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Zia Colony, Fauji Colony, Sadiqabad, Jamia Masjid Road etc.

The residents spent the early morning in fear that the Nullah may burst its banks if more showers lashed the city. They remained busy until evening draining out rainwater from their houses.

The officers’ ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and the basement of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) were also inundated. Rescue 1122 said that rainwater also entered the metro bus stations on Murree Road and accumulated on the elevated road.

Electricity and natural gas supplies remained suspended in low-lying areas due to fears of danger to human lives. The nullahs and streams from Islamabad joined Leh Nullah from New Kattarian at I.J. Principal Road and discharged into Soan River. Along its route, 11 nullahs of Rawalpindi also fell into Leh Nullah.

Every year, a flood-like situation develops in the nullah due to faulty sewerage system in the city. The last flood that the garrison city witnessed was on July 23, 2001, when within just four hours, 620mm of rain was recorded that resulted in the worst floods in the city’s history.

Thirty-five people lost their lives while many slums were swept away resulting in financial loss worth millions.

The Meteorological Department recorded 146 millimetres of rain at Golra, 138mm at Bokra, 48mm at Zero Point, 13mm at the airport and 17mm at Saidpur in Islamabad; 107mm at Pirwadhai, 48mm at Shamsabad, 74mm at Chaklala, 76mm at New Kattarian and 64mm at Kutchery in Rawalpindi. It forecasted more rain till Tuesday evening.

It said monsoon currents were penetrating upper parts of the country along with a westerly wave. More rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Islamabad, Potohar region, Kashmir, northeast Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Hot and humid weather is expected in other parts of the country.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Azizullah Khan said that sirens were sounded in localities adjacent to Leh Nullah as its water level rose to the pre-alert level of 18 feet. However, he said that there was no fault in the siren system along Pirwadhai area, adding due to negligence of rescue officials, the siren was not switched on.

He said all officials were called to deal with any emergency and drain out water accumulated on roads adjacent to Leh Nullah.

He said that all the main roads were cleared within an hour after the rain.

He said there was 107mm of rain in two hours in Pirwadhai so water accumulated on the main roads.

Sharjeel Mir, Rawalpindi Traders Association President, told Dawn that rainwater entered in different parts of the garrison city but the situation remained normal in Raja Bazaar and adjoining markets, including Moti Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar. He said water accumulated on roads and streets but the goods of traders remained safe.

Gujar Khan

The rain inundated shops and residential areas in the Gujar Khan city while traders said they lost millions due to the damages to electronics, garments and shoes in the basement shops along under-construction underpasses.

Khawaja Amir said rainwater entered the basement due to blockade on the road. When he reached the shop early in the morning, it was full of water coming from the road. Mr Amir lamented that LEDs, microwave ovens, washing machines and other appliances in the shop were submerged in waters.

He said he suffered losses over a million of rupees.

Sheikh Waseem, another trader, said all merchandise worth Rs5 million were spoiled due to unchecked flow of rainwater into his shoe shop. Daud Bhatti, Imran Sheikh, Daud Sheikh and others said they also suffered losses due to accumulation of rainwater in their shops.

These traders criticised the municipal authorities as well as contractors engaged in digging underground electricity service lines for their alleged failure in streamlining the dug-out areas.

On the other hand, rainwater also entered in the newly-renovated Modern Bazar due to faulty levelling and drainage.

Saqib Baig, a local leader of PML-N and other social figures, in their statements said over Rs8 million were spent on revamping the drainage of nullahs but to no avail.

The residents called upon the chief minister and commissioner Rawalpindi to take notice of the situation and direct for payment of compensation to the affected traders.

— (Hamid Asghar contributed to this story from Gujar Khan).

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2026