LAHORE:Heavy rain accompanied with hail and thunderstorm lashed the provincial capital here Tuesday bringing down mercury while Met office predicted similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours.
The average AQI of the city was 75, which fell in the category of moderate while the PM2.5 concentration was 4.4 times the World Health Organisation annual PM2.5 guideline value. The intermittent rain turned the weather pleasant bringing down the intensity of the heat. The minimum temperature in the city was 16°C while the maximum was 23°C.
Rain was recorded in many areas, including Johar Town, Mall Road, Abbot Road, Davis Road, Garhi Shahu, Mozang, Ichhra, Jail Road, Upper Mall, Ferozepur Road, Samanabad, Gulshan Ravi, Iqbal Town, Mughalpura, Gulberg and etc.
Due to the rain, citizens faced slow traffic flow as rainwater accumulated on the roads in some areas. Following the rain, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed all departments concerned to come out in the field and monitor the situation.
Wasa MD Ghufran Ahmed visited Mall Road, Cooper Road and Laxmi Chowk where Director Ganj Bakhsh Town Mian Hamid Lal briefed him on the drainage operation. Wasa MD instructed him to continue the drainage operation effectively. He said all disposal stations should be operated at full capacity.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Bilal Yasin directed Wasa MD to keep field teams, all disposal stations and other machinery functional and monitoring should be ensured. He said timely drainage from underpasses should be given top priority.
Bilal Yasin directed Wasa to ensure implementation of emergency plan keeping in mind the recommendations of district administration and PDMA.Commissioner Lahore Marryam Khan and Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain (R) Ali Ijaz visited various areas and directed all the relevant departments, especially Wasa, to remain on high alert.
The Suthra Punjab Agency Lahore (SPAL) cleaning teams remained vigilant at all major city's choking points while workers were deployed across key areas, including Jail Road, Mall Road, Data Darbar, Circular Road, Aik Moria Pul, Do Moria Pul and McLeod Road to ensure uninterrupted cleaning operations.
