Rawalpindi district administration here on Monday issued alert at Gawalmandi as water level sensor data showed 15 feet increase in Nullah Leh at Gawalmandi at 2 pm while pre-alert was issued for Kattarian where water level was 15.5 feet.
According to a district administration spokesman, rainfall gauging stations on Monday recorded 26mm rainfall at Saidpur Village, 95mm at Golra, 66mm at PMD(H-8/2), 22mm at Shamsabad, and 26mm at Chaklala while average rainfall was recorded 64.78mm in basin of Nullah Leh.
Alert at Kattarian would be issued at 15.7 ft while evacuation would be started at Gawalmandi if water level reaches at 20 ft.
The spokesman informed that Commissioner Rawalpindi Division, Noor ul Amin Mengal had instructed the authorities of the administration, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue-1122 to finalize all the arrangements to meet any emergency like situation due to urban flooding in Nullah Leh and other nullahs.
He said the water level in Nullah Leh was being monitored continuously and the machinery of Water and Sanitation Agency, Rawalpindi had been shifted to low-lying areas.
The Commissioner had also directed the PDMA officers to keep the alert system updated and timely inform the people about the water level situation in Nullah Leh.
The WASA authorities were instructed to clear streets and roads and remove stagnant rain water particularly from Rattaamral, Kattrian, Tipu Road, Dhoke Naju, Gawalmandi, Zia ul Haq Colony and other low-lying areas as soon as possible.
All the arrangements were also finalized to shift the people from low-lying areas to safe places in case water level reached at 20 feet at both the places, he added.
He informed that all the departments concerned including PDMA, Rescue-1122 and Pak-Army were present in low-lying areas to cope with the situation.
The authorities of WASA had been directed to utilize all available resources and mobilize their teams to remove stagnant rainwater from low-lying areas.
The DC also urged the citizens not to stand on the banks of Nullah Leh and other nullahs of the town. Various low-lying areas of Rawalpindi were submerged as heavy rain on Monday raised the water level in Nullah Leh.
Water also entered homes in some localities. Rainwater accumulated in low-lying areas, squares and intersections in Rawalpindi also paralysed the drainage system in several areas of city and cantonment.
According to a WASA spokesman, the teams of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) pumped out the accumulated water from the affected areas as WASA had deployed teams in different areas particularly in low-lying areas to clear rainwater.
