Downpour downs parts of Dhaka

FE REPORT | Published: May 11, 2024 23:09:22

Motor vehicles are seen either swimming or wading across rain waters accumulated in most part of Kalshi Road, Pallabi, following a moderate rainfall on Saturday morning. Locals are familiar with such sufferings, as the Dhaka North City Corporation continues to be indifferent to the task of clearing the clogged or silted-up canal and bypass drains for years together. — FE photo by Asad-Uz-Zaman

A heavy downpour, accompanied by a thunderstorm, struck Dhaka on Saturday morning, leading to extensive waterlogging in parts of the capital city and thereby causing massive misery to commuters.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the rainfall between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm recorded 87 millimetres in Dhaka, accompanied by a thunderstorm with winds reaching 52 kilometres per hour.
Both Dhaka and Tangail districts registered the highest 87mm rainfall on Saturday, said the Met office.
However, the heavy rainfall resulted in massive waterlogging in various parts of the city, including Mirpur's Kalshi area, according to witnesses and residents.
Sumon, a Mirpur inhabitant, said residents from Mirpur-10 to Kalshi, including the Journalists' Residential Area, suffered a lot as the main road, lanes and by-lanes got deluged due to the poor drainage system.
Nadim Rahman, another resident, also recounted his Sunday morning ordeal, expressing frustration of finding his street waterlogged as he ventured for work. The delay in transportation due to flooded conditions made him late for work, after waiting for 30 minutes.
Similarly, residents in Mirpur-10 were seen struggling to find transportation amidst the inundation, added Mr Rahman.
Eyewitnesses and residents also reported the similar situation at Mollapara of south Manipur in Mirpur-02, and Border Bazar at south Shewrapara, where knee-high water accumulated following the downpour.
On the other hand, Karwanbazar found itself submerged under almost knee-deep water, they said. The BMD categorises rainfall as follows: 0-10mm as light, 11-22mm as moderate, 22-44mm as moderately heavy, 44-88mm as heavy and anything above 89mm as very heavy.
Meanwhile, Kalabagan residents also described their challenging commute from Kalabagan to Farmgate via rickshaw, navigating through knee-deep water on Green Road.
Some residents even had to wade through murky waters, exacerbating their inconvenience, they witnessed. What is more, the residents of Dhanmondi-06 also faced similar problem of waterlogging in their area.
Despite assurances from Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on April 17, promising no waterlogging during the rains, the city continues to grapple with this issue this monsoon.
Efforts by the two city corporations to address the faulty drainage system have thus far failed to yield significant improvements, leaving residents to contend with recurring waterlogging woes.
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