Islamabad on High Alert, Memories of 2021 Floods Haunt Citizens Amid Monsoon Warnings

Islamabad is on high alert as the Meteorological Department and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have issued repeated warnings of more than normal rainfall during this year’s monsoon season. Citizens across the country are bracing for severe river flooding and urban inundation, with heightened anxiety in the federal capital, where the memories of the catastrophic flooding in Sector E-11 in 2021 are still vivid.

The torrential downpours predicted for this monsoon season have raised fears of a repeat of the disastrous floods of 2021, which led to the tragic loss of two lives and caused financial damages amounting to crores of rupees in Sector E-11. The primary cause of the devastation was illegal constructions obstructing the natural drainage systems. Citizens have blamed government institutions for not effectively curbing these illegal activities.

With monsoon rains peaking, residents of Islamabad are expressing growing concerns over the alerts from the Meteorological Department and NDMA. Many recall the harrowing floods of 2021 and fear a recurrence if adequate measures are not enforced. The city administration has divided Islamabad into urban and rural sections for better management and undertaken pre-monsoon efforts to clean drains and prepare dewatering pumps.

The Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) director stated that teams are on standby with necessary equipment, and emergency patrolling has been initiated. However, citizens criticize the authorities for allowing illegal constructions that exacerbate flooding risks.

One citizen told SAMAA TV that rainwater flowing from the mountains and through E-11 has always been an issue. “The CDA should have intervened, but they didn’t as housing societies keep narrowing the drains and making plots,” he added. Despite the flooding risks, no preventive measures have been taken, and the CDA continues to collect taxes without addressing the real issues.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has conceded that some developers of private housing schemes have encroached upon storm drains, causing blockages. These “china cuttings” have been a significant factor in the recurrent flooding problems.