Torrential rains that stretched several hours on Monday evening turned a blessing into curse for the Lahoris after most parts the city got inundated, leading to severe traffic jams. People have been praying for rains to allay the severity of the scorching sun amid high humidity levels. Their prayers were answered on Sunday evening when the city received showers in various parts, making the weather quite pleasant.
However, Monday’s downpour brought several problems as the city’s drainage system failed to pump out the rainwater, which inundated the roads, and caused traffic bottlenecks and misery to the commuters. The residents of low lying areas faced an even worse situation because their houses and courtyards were flooded with water. All major roads including the Mall, Jail Road, Queen’s Road, and Ferozepur Road witnessed the worst traffic jams. The Canal Road remained blocked after water accumulated in the under passes, blocking the route to Thokar Niaz Baig and its surrounding housing societies.
“We should take it as a rule to stay indoors while it rains, but we are not living in some small town. This is Lahore and people expect that the roads will be at least commutable because they could be facing an emergency situation. I came out only to take medicines for my wife, but there are many ambulances stuck on the roads as there is water everywhere,” said Ahsan Manzoor, a banker stuck in traffic on Queen’s Road.