506 mm rain triggers urban flooding in Punjab's Gujrat

Gujrat: Torrential rains wreaked havoc across the city and surrounding areas, with 506 millimeters of rainfall recorded in just 20 hours, ARY News reported on Thursday, quoting the deputy commissioner.

According to the deputy commissioner, the downpour caused Qamar Sialvi Road’s storm drain to overflow, flooding nearby houses and shops. Similarly, Katchery Road and WAPDA Colony were submerged as rain and floodwaters surged into residential and commercial properties.

Meanwhile, Bhimber Nullah swelled to dangerous levels, creating a situation of severe flooding in the area.

Shakargarh and Zafarwal also experienced heavy rainfall, leading to the flooding of low-lying areas.

In Abbottabad, heavy rains triggered a flash flood that washed away a bridge on the Lora River, cutting off access to multiple villages.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall has been predicted across Punjab until September 5, raising the risk of worsening flood conditions. In Khanpur, the water level in the Khanpur Dam has exceeded the limit, and the spillways have been opened.

Read more: PM directs NDMA to step up flood preparedness

Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Punjab, Irfan Ali Kathia has said that three Indian dams are nearing to their full capacity and water level in Ravi river will also likely to remain high for the next two weeks.

Talking to Media in Lahore, he informed that flood water has affected 136 villages in Khanewal and 75 villages in Toba Tek Singh.

The DG PDMA said over all 3,900 villages and more than 3.7 million people in Punjab have been affected by floods.

Irfan Ali Kathia said around 1.4 million people and one million livestock have been shifted to safe places.