Downpour drowns parts of Dhaka

Heavy rain flooded streets and homes across the capital yesterday morning and exposed Dhaka's poor drainage system yet again.

The downpour began in the early hours and continued till noon with brief pauses. The Met office recorded 130mm of rainfall in six hours from 6:00am. The rainwater did not recede from many places even in the evening.

People who went out of their homes on the weekend endured immense sufferings, as they had to wade through knee-to-waist-deep water to reach their destinations. Public transport was hard to come by.

Several vehicles broke down on the flooded streets, leading to traffic jams.

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Parts of Dhaka, including thoroughfares, waterlogged after 'very heavy' morning rain

The rainwater went into underground parking spaces, reservoirs, and ground floors of many residential buildings. People were seen trying to pump out the water.

Water went into many shops and damaged stored goods.

"Come rain, come the same old sufferings. This has been going on for decades despite promises to solve the waterlogging problem in the city," said a frustrated Sirajul Islam of West Rajabazar area.

"Even after a brief shower, the roads and alleys go under water. The rainwater even makes its way into our homes. We hear so much of development, but this problem persists. Our hardship seems never-ending."

Ain Uddin, who works for a firm, told The Daily Star that he had to change five vehicles to reach his office in Niketan from Kalabagan area.

"My CNG-run auto-rickshaw broke down twice, and I had to walk for half an hour in knee-deep water. I spent around three hours to reach work. It usually takes around 40 minutes."

City planners say it is the inadequate drainage system, not the rain, that floods streets of the capital. Besides, encroachment of canals and a lack of cleaning of drains are among the key reasons for Dhaka streets getting waterlogged, they said.

"Even just after 55 to 60 millimetres of rainfall, Dhaka city's drainage system cannot drain out the water quickly … ," Akter Mahmud, member of advisory council of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), told this newspaper.

The surface drains on the sides of roads are clogged by waste in many cases, he said.

Usually, the rainwater in the city flows into the rivers surrounding the capital via canals. If the rain continues for a few more days, the water level of four rivers will rise, obstructing the natural flow of water into the rivers, he said.

Rainwater also cannot reach the retention ponds in Goranchatbari, Kallyanpur, and Dholaikhal through canals due to encroachment and clogging of the canals at different points, Akter added.

There are two more water retention ponds on the eastern side of the capital beside the Balu river, the government will have to preserve those by connecting them with canals, he said.

Mohammad Fazle Reza Sumon, former BIP president, said after taking the ownership of the canals from Wasa four years ago, the city corporations are yet to recover the canals from encroachers.

For example, he said, Kalunagar canal, a vital channel to remove water from Dhanmondi and Hazaribagh areas, is still not fully functional as the 2.4km canal is blocked by two housing projects.

The condition of Shyampur, Manda, and Jirani canals is almost similar. So, the rainwater of nearby areas cannot be drained out. Some canals at Satarkul are also blocked due to construction of roads, he added.

Adil Mohammad Khan, president of BIP, pointed the finger at the unregulated development.

"We have lost canals to development in various areas of the city."

SUFFERINGS

"We are facing the consequences of unplanned development. We are paying taxes, but the government is not improving the drainage system, resulting in the untold sufferings of people like us," said Rafiq Mia, a resident of Green Road.

Almost the entire Green Road and its adjoining areas like Kathalbagan, Free School Street, Bhutergoli, and Kalabagan went under knee-to-waist-deep water.

Rafiq Miah, a microbus driver, said his vehicle broke down near New Market on a waterlogged street, and he was stranded there for over two hours.

"I don't know what the government and city corporations have been doing over the years…," he said.

Meanwhile, many took to social media to let people know about their ordeals and express anger. They shared photos and videos.

Streets near Fakirapool; Nayapaltan; Baitul Mukarram; Shantinagar; Arambagh; Pragati Sarani; New Market; Dayaganj intersection; Sayedabad Bus Terminal; Toyenbee Circular Road; Elephant Road; Matsya Bhaban; Dhanmondi; Karwan Bazar; Farmgate; Bijay Sarani; and East Rajabazar were inundated.

People in Old Dhaka had a terrible day. Areas including Nazirabazar, Kazi Alauddin Road, Nimtali, Tantibazar, Bangshal, and Nawabpur Road went under knee-deep water.