A day’s rain submerges port city
The port city once again went under water as yesterday's overnight torrential rain, coupled with tidal surge, created waterlogging in its low lying areas, wrecking havoc on citizen life.
The most affected areas include Chawkbazar, Sholoshahar Gate 2, Bahaddarhat, Muradpur, West Bakalia DC Road, KB Aman Ali Road, Agrabad CDA Residential Area, Katalganj R/A, Panchlaish R/A, Shulak Bahar, Khatunganj, Dewan Bazar, and Halishahar.
In the 12 hours till noon yesterday, Chattogram Met Office recorded 110mm of rainfall.
Met official Sheikh Farid Ahmed said heavy to moderate rain would continue in the district for up to two to three days due to active presence of monsoon in the area.
During visits to different areas, this correspondent saw people living on the ground floor of buildings and in tin-roofed houses were bailing water out of their homes.
Staffers in roadside shops were also seen doing the same.
This correspondent caught Babul Shil, owner of a barbershop on KB Aman Ali Road, sweeping out water from his store.
"After opening the shop in the morning, we found water everywhere," he said. "I don't think we'll be making any money till noon as it's going to take time to get the floors clean and dry."
In fact, a major portion of the road from Muradpur to Sholoshahar Gate 2 went under water in the morning. Commuters, especially office goers, had to suffer as a consequence.
Some motorised vehicles were seen getting stuck in water and go out of order. Finding no alternative, passengers had to get down and plod through the knee-deep water. This posed serious problems for office goers, who had to go to work with dirty and wet clothes.
Tanima Akter of Uzir Ali Shah Bylane at Rahattarpool KB Aman Ali Road, pointed fingers at the city corporation. "The drains get stuck as city corporation staffers don't clean them regularly."
"Besides, canals are all filled up with domestic and plastic wastes," she added.
Contacted, Morshedul Alam Chowdhury, deputy chief conservancy officer of Chattogram City Corporation, said they clean the drains and canals on regular a basis, but some people throw household wastes and plastic items in those making their job difficult.
To address the situation, Chattogram Development Authority has been implementing a mega project in the city since 2017.
Project Director Lt Col Shah Ali said, "We are installing tidal regulators in five main canals in the city. The installation work is expected to be completed by September. We hope city dwellers will be relieved of waterlogging to a great extent from the next rainy season."
Meanwhile, a man named Saleh Ahmed, a vegetable trader living in Chawkbazar, has gone missing after he fell into a roadside drain at Muradpur intersection, while he was walking through waist-deep water.
Seeing the around 55-year-old falling into the drain, locals called 999, said Fire Service sources.
On information, divers from Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and tried to rescue him, but could not do so till 8pm, when this report was filed.