In addition delayed and short duration of monsoons, and some other causes reduce yearly average rainfall in the city, said Samarendra Karmakar, deputy director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

According to records of the meteorological department, annual average rainfall in the city was nearly 1,800 millilitres (ml) in 1950's. It stood at 2,200 ml in early 60's but declined to 2,000 ml at the end of the decade.

The yearly average rainfall of Dhaka reached at more than 2,200 ml at the end of the 70's, an official of the meteoro-logical department said.

Again, the average rainfall was more than 3,000 ml in 1984 while in 1992 it sharply declined to 1,200 ml. The following year it reached over 2,800 ml.

Average rainfall in 2005 was more than 2,600 ml.

Ashraf Mahmmood Dewan, assistant professor of Geogra-phy at Dhaka University, said uneven rainfall results in drought and flood in the city. Besides, it helps outbreak of diseases and spread of germs, bacteria, and insects like Aedes mosquito.

"Unfortunately we are not prepared to tackle such situation," Dewan said.

Sarwar Jahan, professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, told Star City that the unevenness of rainfall occurs in the metropolis for the imbalanced microclimate of the city.

He cautioned that if proper measures were not taken in time it would be dangerous for the Dhaka city dwellers. An official of meteorological department also said natural disasters may increase in the metropolis if such trend continues.

Imamul Haque, director general of Bangladesh Haor and Lowland Development Board, said due to filling up of wetlands and water bodies, the evaporation rate of water reduces and consequently the rate of rainfall declines.

Ferdousi Begum, a plant biologist and executive director of Development of Biotech-nology and Environmental Conservation Centre, told Star City that indiscriminate felling down of trees imbalanced the climate and played a significant role for uneven rainfall in Dhaka. She said the tempe-rature of the city is increasing dangerously and drying up the soil and disturbing the nutrition system of soil.