Child’s drowning exposes flood safety lapses

ISLAMABAD: The death of a nine-year-old boy who was swept away in an uncovered stormwater drain during the season’s first pre-monsoon rain has brought attention to shortcomings in public safety arrangements and flood readiness in Rawalpindi.

The child, identified as Wisal, fell into a drain near Kacha Stop on Khalid Bin Waleed Road in the Westridge-III area, close to the point where Rawalpindi and Islamabad meet. The drain was reported to be about 10 feet deep and seven feet wide. He was carried away by strong rainwater flow during heavy rainfall. His funeral was held on Saturday in his ancestral village in Mohmand Agency, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Residents raise concerns over exposed drain

According to residents and shopkeepers in the area, the drain extends for nearly half a kilometre along a busy market but has no protective railing or concrete cover. They said pedestrians and motorcyclists often fall into it because of the absence of safety barriers, though in normal conditions many manage to escape when water levels are low. During the downpour, however, the channel was running at full capacity.

A survey of the area by The Express Tribune found that a number of nearby manholes were also without covers, with some said to be as deep as 20 feet.

Questions over rescue response and drainage work

The incident also prompted concern over the rescue operation. Teams searched a 500-foot section of the drain using five-foot bamboo poles and mobile phone flashlights, and did not have high-powered torches, specialised rescue machinery or protective equipment.

Officials also said none of Rawalpindi’s 15 seasonal drains had undergone full desilting or clearance work before the start of the monsoon. A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said rescue agencies had not been provided sufficient funds, machinery or equipment over the last five years despite repeated requests, and warned that similar incidents could happen again if urgent steps were not taken.

Army placed on alert for monsoon season

Following the incident and with the monsoon season approaching, the 111 Brigade of the Pakistan Army has been placed on red alert until August 15. An army major will supervise operations from the Central Flood Control Room, while military teams equipped with life jackets, high-powered rescue boats, ropes and other modern rescue gear will remain on standby.

Army teams are scheduled to inspect vulnerable points along the 18-kilometre Nullah Lai and other seasonal drains next week. Rawalpindi Commissioner Aamir Khattak and Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema will accompany military representatives during the visit. The army will continue monitoring locations identified as high risk during the flood season, while five flood relief camps are expected to be set up next week under the city’s monsoon preparedness plan.