LAHORE: Torrential rain paralysed life in Lahore on Thursday, inundating almost all streets and roads, and exposing the claims of monsoon preparedness by the government.

Media reports of deaths in rain-related incidents also generated fear among the people during the rain.

There was confusion among people and rain seemed to have caught the civic agencies unawares.

People found roads covered with deep rainwater when they awoke in the morning. Areas like Samanabad, Old Anarkali, Chauburji, Misri Shah, Lal(shmi Chowk and Bhatti Gate were under deep rainwater.

Different localities of Gulberg, Garden Town and even all the underpasses in the city too were inundated, disrupting smooth flow of traffic.

People could not reach offices or their workplaces. Attendance in educational institutions too was thin.

And the timely supply of essentialitems like milk and vegetables to various localities was gravely affected.

There was a lack of public transport and people were seen wading through knee-deep water.

Rain also disrupted power supply in many localities for several hours.

The chief minister was not inLahore and an official handout said he closely monitored the situation arising due to heavy rains in Lahore and other areas of Punjab. He issued necessary instructions to the provincial administration and heads of the departments concerned for coping with the situation.

In Lahore, Ministers RanaMashhood and Bilal Yasin attended the funeral prayers of six members of a family of Chah Miran who died as the roof of their house caved in.

The government announced Rs500,000 for the heirs of every dead person and Rs100,000 for the injured.

The ministers also went to Lakshmi Chowk and observed clearance of rainwater, and visited the injured in hospitals.

Chief Secretary Naveed Cheema and other officials visited variousinundated areas of the city and ordered clearance of the rainwater.

Meanwhile, rain again began in the city in the afternoon and turned heavy at around 9:30pm. Roads were inundated and deserted.

Warning THE monsoon system still has a potential to produce heavy, at times very heavy rainfall, over northeast Punjab (Gujranwala. Lahore, Rawalpindi divisions), Kashmir and adjoining areas during the next 24 to 36 hours, causing flood situation in the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej rivers and their tributaries.

This was stated by the Pakistan Meteorological Department in its latest warning on Thursday night.

It said the well marked monsoon low was now located over northwest Rajasthan (India) and adjoining areas with its trough extending up to northeast Punjab.

It said Sialkot was the most affected city in Punjab as it received highest amount of rain during the last 30 years. During this time, it recorded 251mm of rain at Sialkot Cantt and 167mm at the airport.