Lahore: As temperature soared on the 5th day of July, hundreds of Lahore residents turned to the city’s canal to celebrate the holiday with their families and seek relief from the intense heat, despite an official ban on swimming imposed by the city administration.
Young people rushed to bathe in the canal to escape the heat. The cool water of the canal became a source of relief for citizens in the scorching heat. People say that coming to the canal relieves the feeling of intense heat; they enjoyed the entertainment on the banks of canal on their holidays. They said extreme weather conditions had forced them to seek relief wherever possible, adding the heat had become unbearable, and the canal’s cold water provides comfort and relaxation.
The canal, which passes through the heart of Lahore, has long remained a popular recreational spot during summer months and holidays. Families, including women and children, gathered along different stretches of the Lahore canal throughout the day, carrying homemade food, enjoying picnics and cooling off in the water.
The city administration has repeatedly announced warnings and advised citizens to avoid bathing in canal, but large numbers of people continued to enter the canal without fear of penalties.