LAHORE - Like other parts of the country, the very first monsoon downpour brought life in the provincial capital to a grinding halt exposing the incompetence of city's civic agencies. The Saturday's heavy rain which lashed the City, has also caused huge troubles for the district administration, civil defence officials and Rescue 1122 which rushed to cope with emergencies. Interestingly, the posh localities of the provincial capital including Gulberg, Model Town, some parts of Defence, Garden Town, Faisal Town and Shadman were also badly affected when their streets flooded with rainy water on Saturday. The monsoon rain inundated several low-lying areas and water gushing into the residential areas paralysed the normal life, as the trapped citizens remained confined at their residences. Besides rainwater, filthy gutter water also overflowed into homes. It is interesting to mention here that the local residents tried their best to pump out sewerage in these localities but failed because of suspension of electricity power. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the affected areas and thrashed the LDA and Wasa high officials for their lethargy and ordered setting up emergency committee for carrying out the relief work. The City witnessed heavy downpours early morning on Saturday. Resultantly, the accumulated rainwater soon inundated the roads and streets and several residential areas went submerged under several feet of water. Gushing water into the houses damaged valuable household goods including electric items. Roads looked like rivers and canals which blocked the traffic. Life stood completely paralysed, as the citizens could not go to their offices and places of business. Meanwhile, some hospitals also faced great hardships due to accumulation of rainy water in many wards and basements of the said health institutes. Due to heavy rain, the Lahore General Hospital's wall collapsed which let the rainwater enter into the hospital and the patients had to be shifted at other places. Low-lying areas like Khana, Nishtar Colony, Chungi Amer Sidhu, Qainchi Amer Sidhu, Shahdara, Ravi Road, major areas of Walled City, Thokar Niaz Beigh, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Iqbal Town, Samanabad, Mughalpura, Tajpura, Sadar, Gaziabad, Mozang, Kapurthala House and some adjoining areas went under many foot water. The local residents and shopkeepers of these areas spent a good deal of time pumping rainwater out of their shops. The local drains and naullas of the City also flooded with rainy water which doubled the miseries of the people. The Saturday's heavy raid also affected commercial activity, as main shopping markets remained closed till the sky got cleared. Badly affected commercial areas include Anarkaly, Ichra, business centres situated at Walled city, Ferozepur Road, Mozang area, some markets in the surroundings of The Mall, Railway Station, Badami Bagh and some posh areas of the City. Unprecedented traffic jams choked the main roads as bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed in some parts of the City especially at The Mall and its adjoining roads. Interestingly, the motorists were witnessed pulling their cars out of the rain-flooded roads with the help of local residents.