Rain compounds city commuters\\\' woes

The capital city experienced moderately heavy rainfalls Thursday and it led to water-logging at different points causing sufferings to commuters, particularly the office-goers.

The commuters had to face serious trouble due to the rainfall that inundated city streets from ankle to knee-deep in different parts of the city. Areas like Shantinagar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Rampura, New Market and Mirpur witnessed gridlock in the morning due to the water-logging.

The Storm Warning Centre of Bangladesh Meteorological Office in the capital recorded the rainfall at 37mm till 6:00 pm Thursday, the highest ever in the last one week in the capital. The highest rainfall was recorded at 121mm in Srimangal.

"Moderate rains may occur within the next 24 hours throughout the country as the monsoon is active," Md Abul Kalam Mallick, a meteorologist at the Dhaka Met office told the FE.

The morning rains provided the rickshaw-pullers and drivers of CNG-run three-wheelers with an opportunity to charge high fares.

Nizamuddin Ahmed, a resident in the city's Banasri area, told the FE that he had to pay Tk 150 as the rickshaw fare going to his office at Motijheel.

But rickshaw pullers justified the high fares saying that they took the trouble to pull rickshaws defying the rains.

The rainfall occurs as monsoon is active over Bangladesh and moderate elsewhere over the northern Bay.

Moderate rains accompanied by temporary squally winds are likely to occur at most places over Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy rainfalls at places over the country within the next 24 hours, according to the Storm Warning Centre.