Nullah Lai Water Level Rises Again in Rawalpindi, Pre-Alert Issued at Katarian
RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Water levels in Rawalpindi’s Nullah Lai began rising rapidly again on Wednesday morning following a fresh spell of rain across the twin cities, prompting authorities to issue a pre-alert at Katarian and maintain continuous monitoring of the flood-prone waterway.
The water level at Katarian reached 11.5 feet, according to the district administration. Officials said the level was continuing to rise and that a formal alert would be issued if it reached 15.7 feet.
At Gawalmandi, another key monitoring point downstream, the water level was recorded at 3.5 feet, with authorities also reporting an upward trend.
The renewed rise comes just a day after exceptionally heavy rainfall pushed Nullah Lai well above evacuation thresholds, caused flooding in low-lying neighbourhoods and triggered emergency measures across Rawalpindi.
Fresh Rain Begins Early Wednesday
Authorities said the latest spell of rain began at around 5:00am on September 2, with the Nullah Lai catchment receiving an average of approximately 16 millimetres of rainfall.
Among individual monitoring locations, Saidpur received the highest rainfall at 45mm, followed by H-8 in Islamabad at 30mm.
New Katarian recorded 13mm, while Shamsabad received 12mm.
Golra, Pirwadhai and Bokra each recorded 5mm, while Kutchery and Gawalmandi received 4mm each, according to figures reported by the administration.
Although these totals were considerably lower than Tuesday’s exceptionally heavy rainfall, authorities remained cautious because the catchment and surrounding urban drainage network had already absorbed substantial rain.
Pre-Alert Is Not an Evacuation Alert
An important distinction in the latest update is the status of the warning.
Authorities have issued a pre-alert at Katarian, where the level stood at 11.5 feet at the time of the Express report. A regular alert threshold was given as 15.7 feet.
This should not be confused with the much more serious conditions recorded on September 1.
On Tuesday, official reporting showed Nullah Lai reaching 27.5 feet at Katarian Bridge, exceeding the 20-foot evacuation threshold. Gawalmandi reached 21.5 feet as authorities ordered emergency and evacuation measures in vulnerable areas.
Therefore, Wednesday morning’s 11.5-foot reading does not mean Nullah Lai has again reached Tuesday’s critical flood level.
Instead, it indicates that water was rising again after having receded from the previous day’s extreme levels.
Tuesday’s Flooding Hit Rawalpindi Hard
The renewed rise is being closely watched because Tuesday’s rain caused widespread disruption across Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Around 200mm of rain was recorded in parts of Rawalpindi, while some monitoring stations reported exceptionally high individual totals. Shamsabad received around 200mm and New Katarian around 180-186mm during the severe spell.
Floodwater entered residential areas including Shamsabad, Sadiqabad, Awan Colony, Javed Colony, Habib Colony and Dhoke Farman Ali, according to local reporting. Rescue teams responded to reports of families becoming trapped in inundated areas.
Educational institutions were also closed as authorities responded to the emergency.
Emergency Agencies Remain Prepared
During Tuesday’s flooding, the Rawalpindi administration placed the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, the municipal corporation and other departments on high alert.
WASA deployed personnel and heavy machinery to vulnerable locations including Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk Underpass, Murree Road, Dhok Khaba, Circular Road and Sadiqabad.
Authorities also said Nullah Lai and the city’s drainage channels were being continuously monitored.
The latest Express update says monitoring continued on Wednesday, with the Katarian pre-alert remaining in force as officials watched the impact of the new rainfall.
Urban Flooding Risk Remains
The wider weather situation also warrants continued caution.
The National Disaster Management Authority has warned of heavy rain and possible urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, alongside risks in other parts of northern Pakistan.
Nullah Lai is particularly sensitive to intense rainfall across its catchment because runoff from Islamabad and Rawalpindi can cause water levels to rise rapidly.
The speed of that rise means conditions at Katarian and Gawalmandi can change substantially within a relatively short period during intense rainfall.
Residents near Nullah Lai and low-lying drainage channels should therefore follow official instructions and avoid approaching swollen waterways during rainfall.
Wednesday Figures Must Not Be Mixed With Tuesday’s Peak
The timing of the latest report is particularly important for accurate publication.
The 11.5-foot Katarian and 3.5-foot Gawalmandi readings relate to the renewed rise reported Wednesday morning.
By contrast, reports showing Katarian above 20 feet — including the official 27.5-foot reading — refer to the severe flooding on September 1.
Combining the two sets of figures without timestamps could incorrectly suggest conflicting measurements.
The accurate sequence is that Nullah Lai rose dramatically during Tuesday’s torrential rain, later receded, and then began rising again following a new rainfall spell early Wednesday.
Authorities had issued a pre-alert at Katarian as of the latest Express update, but the waterway had not yet returned to Tuesday’s evacuation-level peak.
