PART ONE
Lahore and Lahories
September Then, and September Now
The heaviest rainfall in Lahore that I remember was in September 1954. It may be noted here that September is normally a near-dry month in Lahore . But every once in a while, it rains heavily during the month, and heavy rains during September are always followed by floods.
Here are excerpts from a report published by The Civil and Military Gazette (since deceased) on the 1954 downpour. Dated Saturday, September 25, it said:
Lahore had the heaviest rain in living memory-17 inches in about 24 hours-as a result of which at least 80 persons were feared dead and over 300 injured due to large-scale house collapses, accidents and drowning on Friday.
Due to three to nine feet deep water that swept the entire city and its suburbs, roads sank down, trees were uprooted, electricity was disrupted, and the telephone system was rendered inoperative. Damage to property is estimated to run into many lakhs of rupees. Government offices, business centres, and shops remained closed. The heavy rain brought ruin to the city, which comprises mostly dilapidated evacuee houses.
Panic-stricken citizens prayed in fear under roofs, which they feared might collapse any moment. The condition in low-lying areas of the city was very critical due to the difficulty in providing relief.
Hundreds of poor refugees and labourers living in Kucha hutments were roofless and helpless and they shivered. They shivered in drenched clothes while it continued to rain mercilessly.
A large number of houses collapsed in Mozang , Mohammad Nagar, Krishan Nagar, Qila Gujar Singh, Old Anarkali, and inside the Walled City.
The paper also reported power failure, cases of snakebites, and suspension of the supply of milk, milk products, and vegetables. The Lahore-Khanewal rail link was reported disrupted.
Heavy rains were also reported from Khanewal, Mian Channu, Sahiwal, Jahanian, and Kacha Khu.
On October 2, the paper reported that the rains had shattered the Punjab's economy. It said the province needed at least Rs. 70 million (it was a lot of money in 1954) to rehabilitate the economy. It quoted Revenue Minister, Nawab Muzaffar Ali Qizilbash, as saying that the losses were colossal, indeed staggering.
The Gazette was priced then at 2.5 annas (15 paisa ). Today a newspaper costs upto Rs. 4 on weekdays, and between Rs 4.50 and Rs 5.00 on Fridays.
Then, on September 5, 1958, The Civil and Military Gazette headlines screamed:
Rain, Rain, Rain, In Lahore
Nine die: 34 hurt: many houses fall
Experts say more To come
September 4 that year was a Thursday. The report said:
Lahore was drenched with 12.62 inches of rain in 21 hours beginning 11 p.m. on Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday. More than six of those inches fell between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. yesterday (September). Total rainfall in the past 72 hours has been 15.26 inches.
Nine of Lahore's citizens lost their lives when the rain caused 156 houses, including brick and mud huts, to collapse. One of the nine was electrocuted. The injured numbered 34. They were trapped in their ruined homes and were rescued by Civil Defence volunteers.
More than 120 huts in various parts of the city were washed away by rainwater. Most casualties occurred in the Tibbi area inside the city where eight people died and four were injured when a three-storied building crashed to the ground. But most destruction of property was recorded in the Cantonment and Mughalpura areas, where 81 homes were destroyed.
Nearly all of the city's roads looked like roaring nullahs than roads; traffic remained thin throughout the day. Business offices opened and then closed. Government offices did not open.
Misri Shah, Sultanpura, Ramnagar, Kumharpura, Krishan Nagar, Rajgarh, Samanabad, Dharampura, and Rehmanpura areas were under about four feet of water by noon yesterday (September 3).
Many houses had about as much water inside as there was outside. People made frantic efforts to seal leaky roofs; only to find more leaks in half the time it took them to seal one.
Failures
Power failures and communication breakdowns helped in no way to comfort a very wet populace alarmed by reports that the Upper Bari Lahore Link had overflowed its banks and the water was rushing towards the G.O.R. Estate, west of Jinnah Bagh. The nullah crossing Ferozepur Road has been breached and the water has already inundated most of the adjacent properties.
Hundreds of homeless have taken refuge in many police stations and schools.
The Civil and Military Gazette also carried a front-page notice saying that because of mechanical breakdowns caused by adverse weather conditions, the paper "regrets its inability to produce a normal edition today."
The eight-page paper was priced three annas (roughly paisa 18) and was in tabloid form.
Friday, September 25, 1992
