Islamabad expected to receive heavy rain this week, red alert issued

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital's administration on Tuesday issued a red alert over possible flooding caused by heavy rains expected to lash the city this week.

The Islamabad administration said Ghauri Town, Soan Gardens, and Sectors I-8 and I-9 were forecast to be inundated with rainwater following the heavy rains.

It further underlined that the Soan and Korang rivers, as well as the Simly and Rawal dams, near Islamabad and Rawalpindi were expected to flood during the ongoing week

Flooding was also feared to occur in the kutchi abaadis (slums) in Sectors F-9, G-6, G-8, H-9, and I-9, as well as Khanna Pul, Ghauri Town, and Soan, the administration said.

It warned that opening the Simly and Rawal dams' spillways would likely inundate the Soan and Korang rivers and disrupt electricity, water, and sewerage services in the areas.

The Islamabad administration has imposed an emergency in the federal capital's hospitals ahead of possible destruction due to the rains forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and noted that local schools would be used as relief camps in case of flooding.