Rain victims left to fend for themselves
RAWALPINDI:
Deprived of immediate relief measures, the victims of this year’s heaviest rainfall have been left entirely to their own devices by the Rawalpindi district administration.
Owing to unusually heavy rainfall this year, the district administration has also announced that the flood season in Rawalpindi will officially conclude on September 1. Ordinarily, the season commences with the pre-monsoon rains on June 15 and lasts until August 15.
Despite widespread devastation, the administration failed to provide financial assistance either to families severely affected by the floods or to those who lost loved ones, citing an acute financial crisis and the unavailability of funds.
With the reopening of all public and private educational institutions on September 1, nine flood relief camps established in schools and colleges across the city will also be dismantled.
Officials disclosed that, despite the severity of this year’s flooding, not a single family sought shelter in government-run relief camps — principally because no arrangements had been made for food, medical aid, or basic support.
Rawalpindi endured some of the most destructive flooding in recent memory in 2025. Torrential rains left residential areas, shops, plazas, and markets submerged under three to five feet of water, destroying goods worth millions of rupees. Yet, no compensation was extended to residents, traders, or shopkeepers. Five people drowned during the floods, but even their families received no financial support.
This neglect has provoked deep anger among citizens, victims, and the business community towards both the government and the administration.
From September 1, with the lifting of the flood emergency, the district control room will cease its 24-hour operation and revert to routine office hours. Officials from various departments deployed at the central control room will be withdrawn, though Civil Defence volunteers and Rescue 1122 will continue monitoring flood-related risks.
During the season, Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas experienced five major floods. Both low-lying and affluent neighbourhoods were inundated, including residential and commercial districts. Among the victims was a retired colonel who drowned alongside his daughter, whose body has yet to be recovered.
The worst-affected localities included Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Arya Mohallah, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, Dhoke Khaba, Amarpura, Pirwadhai, Fauji Colony, Zia-ul-Haq Colony, Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Ratta, Mohanpura, Raja Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Dangi Khoi, Tench Bhatta, Peoples Colony, Shalley Valley, Sharon Colony, as well as areas adjoining the River Sawan, Nala Lai, and 15 seasonal drains.
Hampered by financial constraints, the district administration didn’t even survey the destruction caused to homes, markets, and residential areas, leaving victims entirely to fend for themselves.
Citizen Action Committee Chairman (CAC), Malik Zaheer Awan, observed that four to five major floods struck Rawalpindi this year, causing losses worth millions of rupees to traders and residents alike. Despite repeated appeals, the administration didn’t undertake a damage assessment.