Major areas of Chattogam port city have been inundated after torrential rains for the 3rd consecutive day on Sunday, disrupting public life like the previous years.
The rains started on Friday and continued till filing if this report on Sunday afternoon. Patenga Weather Observatory Centre recorded 218 mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 9 am on Sunday.
Bus services have been suspended on most of the routes, forcing the residents to commute on rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, vans and three-wheelers. In some areas people were seen wading through knee to waist-deep water in the morning.
The waterlogged areas include Chwakbazar, Dewan Bazar, Khalifa Patti, Muradpur, No 2 Gate, Bohaddarhat, Badurtala, Shulokbohor, Mohammadpur, Kapashgola, Katalganj, Bakolia, Firingibazar, Chandgaon, Agrabad CDA Residential area, Tin Pooler Matha, Riajuddin Bazar, Chaktai-Khatunganj, Kalarpole, Boro Pole, Halisohor and some other areas of the city.
Besides, the rain water also gushed into several hundred business establishments in Riajuddin Bazar and Khatunganj area, causing huge losses to the traders.
“The rain may continue for three more days till August 9 due to a depression over the Bay”, said Ujjal Kanti Das, assistant meteorologist of Patenga Weather Observatory Centre.
Due to the torrential rainfall, there is a possibility of landslides in the district, he said.
The employees of different offices, industries and factories are the worst sufferer as they have to go to their workplaces every day amid the terrible situation.
Meanwhile, the rickshaw pullers and CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers were seen charging extra fare taking the advantage of the situation.
Md Ishtiak, a resident of Rahattarpool, said “Several thousand families in the area have been reeling under the rain water for the last three days due to waterlogging. Besides, the ground floors of all the buildings were submerged by rain water, causing immense sufferings to the residents of the area.”
Rezaul Karim, a resident of Bakolia, said, “The low-lying areas went under water after a short spell of showers and this year waterlogging has broken all previous records. “So many projects involving huge money were taken to free the city residents from the curse of waterlogging, but to no avail.”
Shawkat Alam, an importer of Khatunganj wholesale market, said products of nearly 300 business establishments were damaged and many products were washed away by rain water, causing huge losses to the traders.
Contacted, Rezaul Karim, Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), blamed the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) for waterlogging.
Due to the poor drainage system, the city residents are experiencing waterlogging as all the canals including those in Chandgaon and Bakolia areas have been filled up, he said.
The CCC Mayor also stressed the need to clean the Chakati canal and Birza canal to free the city from waterlogging.
Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman, said the local administration already asked the residents living on hill slopes to evacuate their houses through loudspeakers and already 250 families have taken shelter in different shelter centers.
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