Streets in Chittagong under water
ANY time a medium to heavy rainfall descends upon Chittagong city; rest assured that two thirds of it will face severe water logging. Precisely why the city must put up with such misfortune, especially after Tk. 15 million of public money has been spent by the city corporation to alleviate the problem remains unexplained. It is not just the hardship of having to wade through stagnant knee-deep water but the prospect of dying due to electrocution cannot be ruled out, let alone contracting waterborne diseases. Indeed, two individuals died a few days ago having been entangled in live electric wires dislodged after a heavy shower.
This is hardly comforting news for the millions who call the city their home. As water levels measure anywhere between knee deep to chest deep, depending on the locality, it has made movement of vehicles near impossible. Hardest hit remain the thousands of secondary school students whose examinations are on. Four years into a renovation project aimed at rescuing city dwellers from the curse of incessant water logging and millions spent, it is obvious that the drainage system has not been upgraded to desired levels.
What is apparent is that city authorities' capacity to drain out excess water is sorely lacking. The monsoon is a regular feature and there is really no excuse for not taking advance measures to mitigate the problem. At the very least, the city corporation could make an attempt to keep drains from clogging up.
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