City dwellers suffer after morning rain
The pre-monsoon showers have yet again exposed the persistent drainage problems in the capital as last morning's heavy downpour left many Dhaka streets submerged and residents struggling to navigate the knee- to waist-deep murky waters.
Office-goers and school students were among the worst sufferers.
On April 17, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said there would be no waterlogging in the capital during the upcoming rainy season.
However, last morning the waterlogging situation in Dhaka North was worse than in Dhaka South.
Thousands of residents in Mirpur and surrounding areas faced major disruptions to their daily lives as the streets were flooded with waist-deep water.
Dhaka experienced 87 millimetres of rainfall and a thunderstorm [nor'wester] at 52 km/h between 6:00am and 9:00am, Omar Faruq, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) told The Daily Star yesterday.
Many low-lying areas in the capital, including Mirpur, Mouchak, Dhanmondi 27, Azimpur, New Market, Moghbazar, Modhubagh, Badda, Rampura, and DIT project area, were submerged, causing immense suffering to its residents.
Recounting her morning ordeal, Mirpur resident Farjana Jahan said, "I stepped out this morning to go to work, only to find the street in front of my house completely flooded. I had to wait 30 minutes before I could find any transport, which made me late for work."
Similarly, other office-goers and school students struggled to find public transport in the flooded Mirpur-10 area.
Nazmul Islam, a private company employee, said it felt like he was commuting by waterway while sharing his experience of riding a rickshaw from Kalabagan to Farmgate through knee-deep water on Green Road.
He added that the situation was even worse for others who had to wade across the murky waters to reach their destinations.
Residents of Dhanmondi-6 also experienced similar waterlogging in their area.
Alimur Rahman, a resident of Bangshal area, said, "We are so used to waterlogging, we know it's going to happen whenever it rains."
Speaking to this newspaper, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said, "The issue of severe waterlogging after heavy rain has been largely addressed. In the past, major roads would be flooded for days. This is no longer the case. However, brief waterlogging persists in some areas due to clogged drains."
Contacted, DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said, "Since Dhaka is an unplanned city, it continues to battle the persistent waterlogging issue, but we've managed to achieve a 20 percent reduction in its prevalence."
A regular Met office bulletin yesterday said rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind are likely to occur at many places over Chattogram division; at a few places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, and Sylhet divisions; and at one or two places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh divisions with hails at isolated places in the next three days.
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