–Minor killed, over a dozen injured in multiple rain-related incidents
–Traffic flow disrupted, vehicles break down midway due to accumulated rainwater
–Power outages reported across the city while water floods homes, shops
–Punjab CM Buzdar visits affected areas, directs authorities to control the situation
LAHORE: Despite the government’s tall claims of improving the sewerage infrastructure in the city, the second spell of monsoon, which began on Monday night and lasted throughout Tuesday, was enough to paralyse the city.
As heavy rain lashed the city, multiple reports of accidents started pouring in, creating paranoia among citizens who preferred to stay inside their homes on the weekday. Among the havoc, a minor was killed in a rain-related incident while over a dozen others were injured in road accidents and incidents of wall and roof collapse.
The flow of traffic was also disrupted due to accumulation of rainwater on the roads. It was common sight to see people pushing their cars as they came to a halt due to excessive inlet of water into the mechanical parts.
In the absence of a functional sewerage system, water entered the homes and shops of citizens, who spent the day pushing it out of their homes. On top of this, power outages were reported across multiple areas of the city, which added to the miseries of the people. Shadman, Mozang, Waris Road, Ichra and Walton were among the most affected areas.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar visited different areas of the provincial capital to inspect the situation and directed the authorities to dispose of accumulated rainwater to ensure smooth traffic flow and uninterrupted life in the city.
The chief minister also spotted women and children walking in the rainwater and dropped them off to their destination in his car. He also interacted with citizens of different areas and asked them about the issues they were facing and the suggestions they had for the city administration.
The chief minister also expressed disappointment at the claims of former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding transforming the city into “Paris”. He said that those who made such “outrageous claims” had little knowledge about the basic necessities of the city. He also assured the citizens that their problems would soon be resolved.
According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Lahore received over 300 millimeters of rain on Tuesday and more rain is expected in the next few days. PMD also said that a new spell of rain would begin from July 23.