Incessant rain causes severe waterlogging in Chattogram

Continuous rainfall this morning has led to severe waterlogging across the city of Chattogram, causing significant disruption and hardship for residents.

The Chattogram Met Office recorded 76 milimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to the midday, with more rain expected over the next two days due to an active monsoon, said forecasting officer Ismail Hossain.

He also warned of potential landslides in hilly areas.

Low-lying areas were submerged in knee to waist-deep water, forcing commuters to wade through water from filthy, overflowing roadside drains, reports our local correspondent.

Numerous roads in low-lying neighbourhoods, including Muradpur, GEC intersection, Chawkbazar, West Bakalia, KB Aman Ali Road, Bahaddarhat, Sholoshahar, Halishahar, Agrabad CDA, Chandgaon, and Shulakbahar, were inundated.

Motorised vehicles were largely absent from these waterlogged roads, while a few CNG-run auto-rickshaws broke down as water entered their engines.

Hafiz Uddin, an auto-rickshaw driver, was seen pushing his vehicle after it stalled in Bahaddarhat.

"I warned my passenger about the risk of water entering into the engine but he did not pay heed to my words and insisted on coming here. Now, my day is ruined," he said.

Residents blamed local authorities for failing to address the long-standing issue of waterlogging.

Mizanur Rahman, a resident of Bahaddarhat, criticised the city corporation for not cleaning the drains regularly, saying, "Most drains are clogged, unable to contain the rainwater. The drains have not been cleaned for around a month."

Many others held Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) responsible for their suffering.

"I don't understand how the CDA failed to improve the situation in seven years, as they initiated a mega project in this regard in 2017," said Farid Uddin, a resident of Chawkbazar area.

When contacted, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Chief Conservancy Officer Latiful Haque Kazmi acknowledged the situation, attributing the delay in cleaning drains to recent political unrest.

"We began a crash program to clean major drains on Sunday, but heavy rain has disrupted our efforts," he said.

Chattogram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman urged residents in risky hillside areas to relocate to shelter centres.

No CDA official was available for comment on the progress of the waterlogging prevention project.