Meteorological Department and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have issued repeated warnings of above-normal rainfall during this year’s monsoon, with citizens across the country bracing for the risk of severe river flooding and urban inundation.
The anxiety is palpable, especially in the federal capital where traumatic memories of the catastrophic floods in Sector E-11 three years ago still linger.
Torrential downpours predicted for this monsoon season have raised fears of a repeat of the catastrophic floods of 2021.
In Sector E-11, the floods led to the tragic loss of two lives and caused a financial loss of crores of rupees.
Illegal constructions on natural drainage
The primary culprit of the devastation was illegal constructions preventing natural drainage.
The citizens of Islamabad accused the relevant government institutions of not effectively curbing these illegal activities.
As the monsoon rains peak, citizens of Islamabad are voicing their growing concern over the warnings of the Meteorological Department and the NDMA.
Many remember the terrifying floods of 2021 and fear that the situation could repeat itself if adequate measures are not enforced.
The city administration divided Islamabad into urban and rural parts for better management and undertook pre-monsoon efforts to clean drains and prepare drainage pumps.
“Teams are on standby”
The director of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) said that teams are on standby with necessary equipment and emergency patrolling has been started.
However, citizens blame the authorities for allowing illegal constructions that worsen flooding.
One citizen told SAMAA TV that rainwater flowing from the mountains and across the E-11 has always been a problem. “The CDA should have intervened but it did not because the housing societies kept narrowing the drains and making plots,” he added.
The citizen stated that despite the flood risks, no preventive measures were taken.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has admitted that some developers of private housing schemes have actually interfered with drains and caused blockages.
These “Chinese cuttings” were a significant factor in the recurring flooding problems. Rapidly changing weather conditions, citizens are preparing for possible floods.
