LAHORE: Heavy monsoon rainfall caused significant urban flooding in the provincial capital on Thursday, disrupting daily activities. A seven-hour downpour inundated various localities, particularly low-lying areas, causing damage to household properties.
Moreover, three people were killed and several were injured after roofs and trees collapsed in various areas of the city due to torrential rain.
The heavy rain began in the early hours and continued until noon. As per the Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) Lahore, the city received on average 144 mm of rain. In the city, Nisther Town received the most rain, where 182 mm was recorded, followed by Iqbal Town SDO office 181 mm, Pani Wala Talab 175 mm, Farrukhabad 155 mm, WASA Head office Gulberg 152 mm, Qurtaba Chowk 151 mm, Samanabad SDO Office 149 mm, Laxami Chowk 43 mm, Johar Town 137 mm, Upper Mall 135 mm, Mughalpura SDO office 134 mm, Gulshan Ravi 128 mm and Jail Road 124 mm. The Meteorological Department said that more rains are expected in the next 24 hours, and the weather in Lahore will remain cloudy.
Meanwhile, the torrential rains inundated most of the city, including Icchara, Monzang, Shadman, Gulberg, Muslim Town, Garden Town, Defence, Johar Town, Qaddafi Stadium, Township, Badami Bagh, Abid Market, Nisbat Road, Harbanspura, Gawalmandi, Garhi Shahu, Shah Jamal, Tajpura, Laxmi Chowk, McLeod Road, Chauburji, Islampura, Sandha, Krishannagar Bazar, Shadbagh, Railway Station, Missri Shah, Waseempura, Mughalpura, Do Muriah Pul, Queen’s Road, Cooper Road, Baber Market, Outfall Road, Shahdara, and Anarkali.
Due to the prolonged rainfall, traffic flow in the city was severely disrupted, resulting in significant transportation difficulties for residents. Major roads became submerged, trapping many people indoors. Those who attempted to commute to work faced challenging conditions, as flooded roads left many vehicles, particularly motorcycles, stranded. As a result, many markets opened late, and salaried workers either arrived late or were unable to reach their offices at all. In Krishan Nagar, a section of the road near Baba Ground collapsed due to the flooding of an underground water tank under construction.
The downpour exposed the local government’s efficiency and tall claims of improving the city’s drainage system, as citizens struggled to cope with the flooding. Rainwater entered homes in several neighbourhoods, including Shama, Islampura, the upscale Model Town and low-lying areas. The area across from the Shama drain was completely submerged due to heavy rainfall and the overflowing drain. Residents reported that water had entered their houses, damaging household items worth thousands of rupees.
Moreover, three people were killed and several were injured after roofs and trees collapsed in various areas of the city due to torrential rain that began in the morning. According to a rescue spokesman, all the injured individuals were taken to the hospital. In a separate incident, a 42-year-old passerby died after a tree fell on him near Mall Road. Moreover, the roofs of various wards in Mayo and Jinnah Hospitals began leaking, even though these hospitals were recently renovated.
Meanwhile, on the direction of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the administration, PDMA, WASA, and other relevant institutions remained active in the field during heavy downpours across the city. She also directed the wardens and officers to be present in the field to ensure a smooth flow of traffic across the city, said the CM’s spokesperson.
According to him, in just a few hours, the drainage process was completed in several places in the city. The chief minister was continuously monitoring the drainage process in the city. Dharmapura, Ferozepur Road, Iqbal Town, Samanabad, Mughalpura Beijing and Shadman underpasses were also completely drained of rainwater. Most of the roads at Model Town, FC College and Nishtar Town, Zahoor Elahi Road underpass, Girja Chowk and Shalamar Link Road were drained of rainwater and opened for traffic.
“WASA officials removed blockages in the storm drains. The process of cleaning the drains for the immediate drainage of rainwater was also completed within a few hours. WASA teams reached the roads and remained busy draining out rainwater due to heavy downpours in several areas of the city,” he added.
The Chief Minister appealed to the citizens to avoid coming on the roads unnecessarily during rainfall.
She said, “I commend those dedicated WASA officials who worked for hours standing in the torrential rain to drain out rainwater across the city. Despite the unusual situation due to the torrential rain, WASA and teams of relevant institutions remained continuously busy during the performance of their duties.
Moreover, the Lahore district administration’s teams were fully mobilised to manage the aftermath of heavy monsoon rainfall and deliver prompt relief across the city.”
“Field teams have completed extensive water drainage operations in numerous key areas. The administration has cleared several major routes for traffic, including the road from Doctors Hospital Underpass via Nazria-e-Pakistan Road to Shaukat Khanum, where a fallen tree was also promptly removed. Other vital roads now clear for public use include Khayaban-e-Firdousi, Pine Avenue Road, Shalimar Flyover, Sanda Road, Islampura, and Sheranwala Road,” the administration said, adding that operations have also concluded successfully on Bhati Chowk Circular Road and the main GT Road, with work continuing on adjacent service roads.
Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza has instructed all field officers to ensure the complete drainage of rainwater and to implement immediate clean-up measures. He affirmed that the administration’s proactive role is crucial for ensuring public safety and that it remains at the forefront of public service.
The administration stated that all departments were alerted about the heavy rains in advance and had directed WASA, LWMC, and MCL staff to ensure the immediate pumping out of water from affected roads due to the ongoing torrential rainfall.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025