Monsoon has set in motion its usual set of practices; heavy rains, roofs collapsing, outbreak of various diseases, and the most devastating of them all the floods, causing severe damage to property and injuring people, even causing deaths in some cases. Just as Met office has predicted rains for various parts of the country, Sunday’s rains saw at least 12 people getting injured in different incidents due to heavy rains in different areas of Punjab and North Waziristan Agency, including the metropolitan Lahore and other major cities like Gujranwala and Jhelum. Meanwhile, flood has been reported in Chenab River putting under water many villages in the district Hafizabad, a city along its path. According to details, two persons were injured when a roof of a decrepit house collapsed due to heavy rains at Kamran Park, Shahdara in Lahore here on Sunday. Rescue staff reached the spot and rescued the injured – Zafar and Majeed – and shifted them to a local hospital. Showers continued in Gujranwala, Jhelum and different areas of NWA on Saturday flooding the streams and lowering the temperature. In three separate roof collapse incidents in villages Alipur Chattha, Kalaskey and Kangniwala Bypass, at least 10 persons were buried under the rubble. The locals on self help basis dug out the injured from the debris and shifted them to different hospitals of concerned areas. The injured included three children and two women. As rains continued on Sunday, Quetta, and its adjoining areas also received showers. The rain turned weather pleasant and a large number of citizens came out of their houses to enjoy the weather. According to Met Office sources, the city may also receive showers on Monday. According to meteorological department, medium-level flood occurred in Chenab at Head Marala with the discharge of over 2,00,000 cusecs of water at Head Khanki. Five villages of Hafizabad district came under water as India released water in Chenab river. Sources said that the outflow of water at Qadirabad barrage in Chenab river was 192,200 cusecs on Sunday. However, they said that the water level was falling down at Head Marala and Khanki. The villages affected by floods were Kot Saleem, Channi Gala, Nahianwala, Bari Tarar and Pir Mohammad. Local administration sources said that police, rescue 1122, concerned civil defense and other departments had been put on high alert to meet with any eventuality. They said the flood in Chanab was feared to affect 165 villages and a population of about 300,000 people. Chenab was likely to attain a level of medium to high flood within next 24 hours. The Jhelum river, too, was forecast to be in low to medium flood at Mangla. Meanwhile, the Met office has forecast rain at isolated places of Khyber Pakthunkhwa during next 24 hours. The Office said that the Monsoon currents were penetrating into most parts of the country and a shallow westerly wave was also affecting upper parts of the country and likely to persist for next 24 hours. Rain/thundershower may occur at isolated places of upper and Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northeastern Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the next 24 hours. Mainly hot and humid weather is expected in most parts of the country. However, isolated rain/thundershower is likely in Malakand, Hazara divisions, northeast Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Scattered rain/thundershower with isolated heavy falls occurred in upper Punjab, upper and central KP, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the last 24 hours. Maximum rain was received by Gujranwala with 123mm followed by Lahore (city) 110, Lahore (airport) 96, Chakwal 97, Sialkot (airport) 79, M B Din 70, Jhelum 67, Kotli 45, D I Khan 49, Sialkot (city) 38, Rawalakot 26, Bhakar 21, Noorpur Thal 17, Drosh 15, Garidopatta, Zhob 12, Dir, Islamabad, 11, Astore, 10, Kalam, Hunza 9, Murree 8, Skardu 7, Gupis and Gilgit 5 mm each in the last 24 hours. Maximum temperature was recorded at Turbat with 46C and pollen count remained 22 per cubic meter.
