Urban flooding, fatal electrocution expose Lahore's drainage challenges amid Punjab's monsoon response

Pakistan Meteorological Department warns that another spell of heavy rainfall is expected over the next 24 hours

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Residents stand at their partially submerged house as they wait to evacuate a flooded area, following monsoon rains and rising water levels of the Chenab River, in Jalalpur Pirwala, Punjab. Photo : REUTERS

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Heavy monsoon rains inundated several parts of Lahore on Wednesday, exposing weaknesses in the city's urban drainage system as roads and underpasses were submerged, traffic was disrupted, and a motorcyclist was electrocuted after coming into contact with a live wire in accumulated rainwater.

The downpour left major arteries, including Lakshmi Chowk, Expo Centre Road, Lawrence Road, Badami Bagh, Safanwala Chowk and low-lying residential areas, under several feet of water. Vehicles stalled on flooded roads, while commuters remained stranded for hours as traffic moved at a crawl across the provincial capital.

At Lakshmi Chowk, floodwater turned the busy intersection into what residents described as a virtual urban lake. Water also remained on sections of Expo Centre Road well after the rain had stopped, raising fresh questions about the effectiveness of the city's drainage infrastructure despite repeated official assurances of preparedness.

The Punjab government, however, maintained that its emergency response remained effective. Officials said teams from the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), district administration, Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and other departments were deployed immediately on the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

According to the government, water was cleared from major ponding areas and underpasses within hours, while drainage operations were carried out simultaneously across 41 districts. Authorities also claimed that rainwater accumulated in Gujrat city was removed within three hours.

The PDMA reported that Gujranwala received the highest rainfall during the last 24 hours with 250 millimetres, followed by Sialkot (139mm), Mandi Bahauddin (138mm), Narowal (117mm), Hafizabad (85mm), Chakwal (70mm) and Okara (64mm).

Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department said a medium flood was continuing at Marala Barrage on the Chenab River, where inflow reached 224,496 cusecs and outflow stood at 206,496 cusecs. Qadirabad Barrage was also experiencing a medium flood, while a low-level flood persisted at Khanki Barrage. Water flows at other rivers and barrages remained within normal limits, officials said.

The PDMA said 17 people have lost their lives and 107 others have been injured in rain-related incidents since the start of the monsoon season. Of the fatalities, 12 resulted from collapsing dilapidated buildings, two from lightning strikes and three from electrocution.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that another spell of widespread heavy rainfall is expected over the next 24 hours across Lahore and other parts of Punjab, as well as Kashmir and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region. The department cautioned that urban flooding, flash floods in local streams and landslides in Murree and Galiyat remain possible, urging authorities and the public to take precautionary measures.