Rainfall and Urban Flooding in Lahore: What is Urban Flooding, and how does excessive rainfall affect water reaching homes in the city?
Due to the heavy monsoon rains, various areas of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, once again submerged underwater, causing increased concerns regarding urban flooding.
According to the figures released by Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa, the highest rainfall was recorded in the Gulshan Ravi area with 183 millimeters, followed by 169 millimeters in Lakshmi Chowk. Additionally, several other suburban areas of Lahore also experienced intense rainfall, breaking records.
Commissioner Lahore stated that the district administration is actively working on drainage efforts, and currently, some areas are facing localized flooding.
Prior to the onset of July, Lahore had already witnessed heavy rainfall that resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, including an 11-year-old child, and left 20 others injured. During this period, Lakshmi Chowk recorded 291 millimeters of rain, and the Gulshan Ravi area received 268 millimeters of rainfall.
Due to these heavy rains, Lahore resident Ramesha Mustafa, along with her children and husband, had to temporarily stay at her mother's house for a few days.
The condition wasn't great, but due to recent rains, water not only started dripping from the roof but also entered the house through gates and doors, damaging our belongings.
Her story is not limited to her and her family; Lahore has witnessed recent urban flooding, leading to not only loss of life but also significant financial damages.
Urban flooding occurs when heavy rainfall overwhelms the city's drainage and infrastructure, causing excessive water to accumulate in urban areas, including the city's sewage and drainage systems.
This phenomenon is observed in cities when the urban infrastructure, designed to handle a certain amount of water, becomes unable to cope with the excess due to heavy rainfall. Typically, different areas in a city have disposal stations where pumps transfer collected water to nearby drainage channels or rivers. However, when these disposal stations are not functioning properly or are unable to handle the excess water, the remaining water finds its way into streets and residential areas.
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