Late school closures create chaos, draw criticism from rain-hit families

Rawalpindi, Sep 01 (APP):Heavy rain lashed the twin cities early Tuesday, leaving schoolchildren drenched, books and uniforms soaked and parents struggling on waterlogged roads, while late closure messages by some schools drew criticism from families who had already braved the downpour to drop their children.

The morning spell brought heavy rainfall to different parts of Rawalpindi  disrupting routine life and causing water accumulation on roads and in low-lying areas. Initial reports said rainfall crossed 100 millimetres at some locations, with around 131mm recorded at Golra, 124mm at New Kattarian and 112mm at Khanna.

For many families, however, the biggest difficulty came early in the morning when parents left their homes to take children to school in heavy rain, only to receive closure messages after reaching the schools or while returning home.

We had already dropped the children at school in this heavy rain. About 20 minutes later, the school announced a holiday, Ruqayya, a mother, told APP while standing in rain-soaked clothes.

She said parents had already faced great difficulty in taking their children to school and an earlier message could have saved families from travelling in such difficult weather.

Students faced similar problems.

Rai Dawood, an eighth-grade student of Radiant School, told APP that he had a physics paper on Tuesday and had reached school despite the heavy rain.

I came because I had my physics paper today. We reached school getting wet and now we have been sent back in this heavy rain. My books have also got wet, he said while trying to protect his schoolbag from the rain.

A government employee, Tahir, criticised the timing of the closure message, saying parents should have been informed before they left their homes.

We reached the school at 7:10am and the school starts at 7:20am. We had not even reached home after dropping the children when at around 7:30am we received the message that the school had been closed, he told APP.

He said weather warnings were already available and school administrations should have taken an early decision, particularly for the safety of younger children and parents travelling on motorcycles.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Nadeem Nasir announced the closure of educational institutions in the district in view of the heavy rainfall and prevailing flood situation. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure for the safety of students amid severe weather conditions.

The late messages from some schools also left children facing the return journey without their parents.

Ibrahim, a Class Six student, said his mother had dropped him at school by car and returned home, but the school later announced a holiday.

My mother had already left. I had no way to contact her, so I had to go back in the rain. My schoolbag has also got wet, he told APP as he walked through the downpour.

Shahnawaz, a Class Three student, shivering after getting drenched in the rain, said he was happy that school had been closed but was having a difficult time getting back home.

I am happy that we have been given a holiday, but I am badly soaked and now going back home in the rain, he told APP.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) had warned that heavy rainfall could cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The Met Office forecast further rain and thunderstorms in Islamabad and the Potohar region, warning of rising water levels in streams and drains and possible urban flooding in vulnerable areas.