The worst affected are those living in slums and low-lying areas where the low-income people find the house rents affordable.

Temporary flood shelters have been set up at almost all school buildings in the city. Acute sanitation problem is threatening the health of those who have moved to these shelters.

Most of the flood shelters are running without any help or monitoring from the government. Lower-rung political leaders are trying to maintain order at some centres.

Filthy water emitting foul smell has swamped roads, houses, shops and business establishments in the flood-hit areas as sewerage lines and septic tanks have merged under floodwaters.

The eastern part of the capital that does not have any flood protection embankment has gone under swelling waters of the Turag, Balu, Shitalakhya and Buriganga rivers that marked a sharp rise in the 24 hours till yesterday evening.

Fakirerpool, East Badda, Khilgaon, Sabujbagh, Arambagh, Motijheel, part of Gulshan and Khilkhet are among the areas under highly contaminated waters.

On the western part of the city, water inside the flood protection embankment is rising fast mainly due to rain and dumping of thousands of cubic metres of tannery waste in it.

Kalyanpur pumps are moving water out of the embankment but they cannot cope with the massive volume of accumulated water.

Meanwhile, local authorities have stopped power supply in many flooded peripheral areas of the capital fearing electrocution.

The Buriganga rose by 10 centimetres (cm) yesterday, flowing at 47cm above the danger level. The Balu swelled by 10 cm and was flowing 180 cm above the red mark, the Shitalakhya at Narayanganj swelled to 116 cm above the red mark and the Turag was flowing 104 cm above the danger level yesterday.