LAHORE: Heavy monsoon rains inundated Punjab’s capital on Thursday, submerging major roads, severely disrupting traffic, and transforming residential neighbourhoods into urban rivers.
Over 260 mm of rainfall was recorded at Allama Iqbal International Airport, leaving thousands of residents in both low-lying and affluent areas struggling with severe waterlogging and significant disruptions to daily life due to poor drainage systems. Roads transformed into rivers, and water infiltrated homes across Lahore Cantonment, Cavalry Ground, and Defence. City authorities scrambled to pump water out of flooded streets while forecasters warned of more rain on the way.
The provincial capital was pounded by heavy downpour for around six hours, and during this duration the city received on average 80 mm of rain. After Allama Iqbal International Airport, Tajpura recorded the second highest rainfall of 157.4 mm, followed by 143.4 mm in Kahna, 136 mm in Shadipura, 133 mm in Mughalpura, 116 mm at Upper Mall and 111.2 mm in Manawan.
Moreover, 81 mm of rain was recorded in Johar Town, 64.6 mm at Chowk Na Khuda, 56.4 mm in Nishtar Town, 55 mm in Iqbal Town, 53 mm in Gulberg, 45 mm on Defence Road (Hdyara), 33 mm in Samanabad, 31.2 mm on Jail Road, 28 in Pani Wala Talab, 27 mm in Lakshmi Chowk, 23.4 mm in Farukhabad, 23 mm in Sagian, and 18.4 mm in Gulshan Ravi.
From the flooded underpasses of DHA and Harbanspura to inundated homes in Lahore Cantonment, residents spent the day battling standing water and paralysed traffic as the city’s drainage capacity crumbled under unprecedented monsoon showers. In DHA, floodwater rose nearly to the roof of an underpass, forcing its closure, while the Harbanspura underpass was also shut to traffic due to severe waterlogging.
The heavy downpour overwhelmed the sewage system in Lahore Cantonment, resulting in several feet of standing water in neighbourhoods. Residents reported that many neighbourhoods had transformed into streams because of the flooding.
In the initial phases of Defence, rainwater entered many homes, while Walton Road and Cavalry Ground were completely submerged. The main road in Cavalry Ground was flooded, severely disrupting traffic movement. Water also accumulated on Main Defence Road, making it resemble a river, while the Defence underpass was filled with water, leading to extended delays for commuters due to long queues of vehicles.
Residents in Tajpura faced significant hardship as floodwater entered their homes. Several feet of water accumulated in front of Journalist Colony, along Canal Road, Jallo Park, Medical Scheme, Tajpura Scheme, and other nearby residential areas.
Water also remained stagnant in several other areas, including Chauburji Chowk, Jain Mandir, Board of Revenue, Library Chowk, and Church Chowk. Flooding was also reported around Ek Moria Bridge, Kashmiri Gate, Shalimar Chowk, and Tahseen Chowk. Other affected locations included Shahdara Chowk, Timber Market, Lari Adda, Sabzi Mandi, Haji Camp, Lakshmi Chowk, Qurtaba Chowk, and LOS. Additionally, rainwater accumulated at Maula Bakhsh Chowk, Qadri Chowk, Jorray Pul, Afshan Chowk, Cantt, Ghazi Road, Gajjumata, Wateen Chowk, Pir Bahashah Chowk, Children’s Hospital, Chungi Amar Sidhu Bus Stop, General Hospital, Firdous Market, Barkat Market Chowk, Fatima Memorial Hospital, and Bagrian.
Furthermore, the flooded major roads kept people confined to their homes. Those who attempted to reach their workplaces faced the overwhelming challenge of navigating through the submerged streets, which left many commuters trapped in heavy traffic. Numerous vehicles, particularly motorcycles, were observed stranded in the water.
Heavy rainfall in Lahore also disrupted the Lahore Electric Supply Company’s (LESCO) power transmission and distribution system, causing technical faults in many feeders. This has led to temporary power outages affecting thousands of consumers, with reports of damaged transformers in several areas.
Meanwhile, the Lahore district administration was seen actively working to provide relief and protect the city’s infrastructure. Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain (R) Muhammad Ali Ijaz, with his teams, monitored drainage operations to clear waterlogged areas.
According to the administration, the drainage operation was intensified as part of the rain emergency protocol. The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore and the teams were fully engaged in using modern machinery to drain out the rainwater.
Moreover, WASA Lahore Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed oversaw the drainage operations through its 24/7 monsoon control room. “Despite 263 mm of rainfall, traffic remains smooth across the city, monitored by over 200 live cameras, while over 21 emergency relief camps were operational and teams were stationed at critical hotspots for timely drainage,” said WASA Lahore.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026