Incessant rain for around three hours caused severe waterlogging in Jashore town yesterday, causing unbearable woes to the residents.

Visiting different areas in the town, this correspondent saw several roads and low-lying areas were submerged under knee-deep water, including Pipepatti, Railroad, Shankarpur, Chopdarpara, TB Clinic Road, Sashtitalapara, Kharki, Karbala Road, Railgate, Mujib Road, Bejpara Main Road, Piari Mohan Road, Bunopara, Chanchra, Bakchar Hushtala Road, Old Kasba and Ghop Dhanpatti.

Low-income people, including day-earners, suffered the most.

Residents complained that the town has no proper water drainage system, which led to the waterlogging.

"Many houses became inundated due to waterlogging in different neighbourhoods after the downpour, while people had to tread through dirty water to move around the localities," said Abdul Alim, a businessman in Karbala area.

Abu Jafar Mukul of Bejpara Sadek Daroga intersection echoed him.

"As the drains are clogged with dirt and garbage, those cannot drain away the water, which led to the waterlogging after rainfall. All drains must be cleaned periodically to improve the town's drainage system," said Nadeem Hasan of Ghop Dhanpatti area.

"This has been going on for years but the municipal authorities are not paying attention to this menace," he added.

Monsoon winds in the Bay of Bengal caused around 200mm rain in the district between 11:30am and 3:00pm on Saturday. Similar rainfall is likely to continue over the next few days, said sources at Matiur Rahman Air Base Meteorological Office in Jashore.

Contacted, Haider Gani Khan Palash, mayor of Jashore Municipality, said development works for the town including improving its drainage system will be taken up soon and the problem of waterlogging will be mitigated once the works are completed.