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In yet another damning exposure of crumbling infrastructure and administrative failure, heavy torrential rains lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, leaving low-lying areas and major arteries completely inundated and exposing the systemic negligence of local civic authorities, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.
The early morning downpour on Friday exposed the sheer unpreparedness of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad, alongside the Cantonment administration and the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), as commuters and residents were left to fend for themselves amid submerged streets and paralysed public services. According to Dawn, the district administration of Rawalpindi was forced into a state of alert after the water level in the notorious Leh Nullah surged dangerously to 10 feet, triggering severe panic across residential areas. The downpour transformed main thoroughfares, including Murree Road, Kutchery Chowk and Peshawar Road, into rivers of stagnant water. In Bhara Kahu, vehicular movement ground to a halt as two feet of standing water trapped motorists, while rainwater breached residential properties due to inadequate drainage networks. "Rainwater accumulated on the main Murree Road and entered my house. We made announcements in the area urging residents to keep children inside," said Mohammad Akram Abbasi, a resident of Bhara Kahu, underscoring the lack of official emergency assistance. Adding to the public's plight, incomplete development works and dug-up roads by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) in areas such as Saidpur Road and Asghar Mall Road turned streets into hazardous traps, while power utility Iesco enforced widespread blackouts across the garrison city, further crippling daily life. Beyond the twin cities, the administrative breakdown was even more catastrophic in Attock district, where overflowing small fish dams caused widespread devastation in Pindigheb town, leaving dozens of structures collapsed and trapping citizens on rooftops. Dawn reported that floodwaters rapidly overwhelmed low-lying localities after the Malahwala Ganda Kass small dam overflowed and its embankments were breached, forcing vulnerable families to abandon their homes in Kamrial and Gundakass. Local business owners and residents expressed anger over the total absence of preventive measures as floodwaters destroyed livelihoods and rendered homes structurally unsafe. "We watched helplessly as dirty rainwater swept through our shop and ruined almost everything," said Mohammad Aslam, a grocery store owner facing massive financial ruin. Echoing the devastation, trader Rashid Mehmood noted, "All bakery products, including bread, cakes, biscuits, rusks, confectionery and other perishable items, have been spoiled after rainwater entered the shop. Refrigerators, display counters and electrical equipment have also been damaged." Distressed residents recounted the severe damage caused by the civic administration's inability to manage seasonal monsoons. "Our house is full of water. Furniture, bedding, household appliances, clothes and important documents have all been damaged," said Shazia Bibi. Another affected resident, Abdul Qadeer, raised alarms over unsafe living conditions, stating, "We fear the walls may collapse at any time." According to Dawn, official figures from the Meteorological Department recorded up to 103 millimetres of rainfall in parts of Rawalpindi, with forecasters warning of continued heavy downpours, urban flooding and potential landslides across multiple regions through August 5. Dawn further highlighted that, while officials from Rescue 1122 and the district administration, including Deputy Commissioner Mudassar Ahmad Shah, conducted late site visits to review rescue operations, the delayed state response once again laid bare the routine governance failure that leaves citizens vulnerable to predictable seasonal disasters. (ANI)
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