RAWALPINDI - The twin cities received first rain of winter on Tuesday, dropping the mercury level and multiplying the woes of people who were already facing gas and electricity loadshedding.
The business in Landa bazaars boomed as hundreds of citizens including children, young boys and girls, men, women and old people thronged the bazaars at Saddar, Lalkurti, Dheri Hassanabad, Raja Bazaar, Adyala Road, Commercial Market, Double Road, Sadiqabad, Kuri Road, Shakeriyal and other areas to buy warm clothes to keep them safe from chilly weather. Many complained of high prices of the secondhand clothes such as gloves, jackets, sweaters, caps, shawls, socks and shoes.
The cloudy weather also provided an opportunity to the people, who were forced to stay indoors due to dry and chilly weather, to visit the chicken corn soup, coffee, and snack shops.
Huge rush was also witnessed on shops, hand pushcarts and vendors of dry fruits in the city. A large number of families were seen going in restaurants and other recreational spots to enjoy the weather.
Doctors of Allied Hospitals, while talking to TheNation, were of the view that the wet spell would lower down the viral infection spread in the city causing number of deceases like dry cough, flu and fever among people as the rain wash out the dust in the environment providing an opportunity to the people to breathe in the fresh air.
However, the doctors advised the people to use plenty of water in shape of juices or soups to drain out the viral infectious bacteria and covered them with warm clothes to remain safe from cold.
In several areas of Rawalpindi, the rain started at 10:00am.
The mercury level dropped to very cold while many residential parts of the city remained deprived of electricity.
Though the rain decreased the intensity of the cold weather, it multiplied problems of the residents who are already facing gas and electricity loadshedding in Dhamial, Ranyal, Bunda Nagyal, Chakri Road, Quaid-e-Azam Clony, Bakra Mandi, Dhoke Seydan, Girija Road, Baraf Khana Chowk, Chakra, Misrial Road, Chuhur Chowk, Peshawar Road, Westridge, Dhoke Mangtal, Tahli Muri, Dheri Hassanabad, Tulsa Chowl, Khuwaja Corporation, Adyala Road, Jarahi, Kehkashan Colony, Kalyal, Shah Pur Village, Dehgal, Adyala Village, Saddar, Ganjmandi, Gawalmandi, Raja Bazaar, Hazara Colony, Dingi Khoe, Jamia Masjid Road, Asghar Mall Scheme, Benazir Bhutto Road, Waris Khan, Liaquat Road, Committee Chowk, Iqbal Road, Dhoke Elahi Bux, Ratta Amral, Chandni Chowk, Commercial Market, Said Pur Road, 5th Road, 6th Road, Rehmanabad, Double Road, Dhoke Kala Khan, Shakeriyal, Kuri Road, Khana Kak and Sanam Chowk.
The residents protested against the government, SNGPL and WAPDA for not ending the loadshedding of gas and electricity.
The rain also created traffic problems due to slippery roads. Long queues of traffic were witnessed on busy roads and traffic signals. Poor visibility during the rain also created traffic snarls.
On the other hand, rain created problems for the poor policemen deputed at different check posts.
At all check posts security personnel lit wood fire to ward off severe cold.