LAHORE : Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has issued directives for the Water And Sanitation Agency (WASA) and local government representatives to take effective measures to avert urban flooding during heavy showers in parts of the province.

He ordered round-the-clock monitoring of stormwater drains, streams, and water channels and called for contingency measures to deal with any urban flooding-like situation in low-lying localities.

CM Buzdar further instructed that all necessary equipment, machinery, and resources be made available to the departments concerned and warned them of stern action in case rainwater is not drained out from streets and markets in a timely manner.

At least nine people, including two children, died in three separate incidents caused by recent rains in the province.

In Kot Radha Kishan, five people were killed when the roof of a house collapsed, according to rescue sources. The bodies were pulled from the rubble and moved to a nearby hospital. In another roof collapse incident reported in Gujranwala after heavy downpour, two children lost their lives in the city’s Tehsil Wazirabad.