Heavy monsoon rain has flooded roads and low-income neighborhoods in Rawalpindi and Islamabad since August 17, with WASA on high alert and more rain forecast through August 21.
Rawalpindi and Islamabad are going through their heaviest spell of monsoon rain this season. Heavy downpours have hit the twin cities on and off since August 17, 2026, and as of Thursday, August 20, authorities are still on alert.
The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi has declared a rain emergency. This means staff leave is cancelled, and teams with heavy machinery are stationed across the city to clear flooded roads and unblock drains.
What is happening right now
Nullah Lai, the natural stream that runs through the middle of Rawalpindi, is the main flashpoint. During the heaviest spell earlier this week, water levels at Kattarian reached 22 feet, while levels at Gawalmandi rose to as high as 19 feet, prompting danger sirens and evacuation warnings for residents in low-lying areas.
By Thursday morning, the situation had eased. WASA reported the water level at Kattarian had dropped to around eight feet, and six feet at Gawalmandi Bridge. But the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of more rain and thunderstorms over the next two to four hours in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and nearby areas, and forecasts point to continued wet weather through August 21.
Areas affected
The neighbourhoods hit hardest this week are the same low-lying areas that flood every monsoon season. WASA has deployed staff and machinery in Gawalmandi, Liaquat Bagh, the Committee Chowk underpass, Murree Road, Dhok Khabba, Millat Colony, Arya Mohalla and Sadiqabad. Earlier in the week, floodwater also entered homes in Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Jamia Masjid Road, Sadiqabad, Dhoke Khabba, Jan Colony and Pirwadhai.
One serious incident: water entered the gynaecology and paediatrics OPD of Holy Family Hospital, one of Rawalpindi’s largest hospitals, after sewerage construction work outside the building let water in. Patients and doctors had to be moved to other wards while staff pumped the water out.
Casualties and rescues
At least one death has been reported directly in connection with this week’s flooding in Rawalpindi: a woman drowned in the Soan River after a low-lying area was inundated. Rescue 1122 has carried out several smaller rescue operations, including safely evacuating 150 children from a madressah in the Saddar area after water entered the building, and moving three people to safety at Hakla Interchange and five more in Shahbagh, Kallar Syedan, on Thursday alone.
The wider weather system has also caused damage outside the twin cities. In Swabi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, two people were killed and four injured when a house roof collapsed, and more than 300 people were evacuated from flooded areas on Thursday.
Why Nullah Lai keeps flooding
Nullah Lai is not a small drain — it collects rainwater from a catchment area of about 234.8 square kilometres, stretching from the Margalla Hills in Islamabad down through Rawalpindi. The stream floods almost every monsoon season because of how much rain the Margalla catchment sends downstream. This isn’t new: in July 2001, a record 620mm of rain fell on Islamabad in just 10 hours, causing major flooding along Nullah Lai. A similar flash flood in July 2008, caused by 104mm of rain in 100 minutes, killed three people.
What has changed since those events is the city around the stream. Decades of construction along its banks have narrowed the channel in places, and garbage regularly clogs the waterway — something WASA officials have flagged repeatedly this week, urging residents not to dump waste into drains or remove sewer covers, warning that this blocks drainage.
What officials are doing
WASA Managing Director Azizullah Khan has been personally supervising drainage operations. Rawalpindi’s Deputy Commissioner, Captain (retd) Nadeem Nasir, has directed the district administration to keep monitoring nullahs and low-lying areas. Sanitation teams have been placed on alert to keep drainage moving as fast as possible.
What residents should know
If you live near Nalla-Lai or in a low-lying part of Rawalpindi, here’s what matters right now:
- More rain is forecast through August 21, so the situation could change quickly.
- Officials are asking residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from drains, waterways and electricity poles.
- In an emergency, residents can contact the WASA helpline or Rescue 1122.
- Authorities have not confirmed a fixed, public “danger level” number for Nullah Lai — reported alert points have varied through the week — so it is safer to follow official siren warnings and evacuation instructions directly rather than relying on a specific number.
The rain emergency in Rawalpindi remains active. The Pak Pulse will update this story as PMD and WASA release further information.
SOURCES
The Express Tribune — “Two killed, more than 300 evacuated as PMD warns of more rain, urban flooding across K-P” (Aug 20, 2026) — current water levels, WASA deployment areas, today’s rescues, Swabi casualties.
The Express Tribune — “PMD warns of more rain, thunderstorms in Islamabad, Rawalpindi” — PMD forecast.
The Express Tribune — “Heavy rain floods low-lying areas” — Soan River drowning, Holy Family Hospital flooding, affected colonies.
Daily Times — “Heavy rain triggers flood alert in Rawalpindi and Islamabad” — peak water levels at Kattarian/Gawalmandi.
Dawn — “PMD issues flood alert for Leh Nullah as heavy rains continue to batter Rawalpindi and Islamabad” — madressah evacuation, house collapse.
By
