Downpour hits Ctg life, port activities

CHITTAGONG, June 21: Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds over the last two days in the port city disrupted civic life and forced suspension of cargo handling at the Chittagong Port Saturday.
Loading and unloading of goods at the outer anchorage of the port and movement of lighterage vessels between the port jetties and the outer anchorage remained suspended throughout the day.
Fresh downpour increased sufferings of the city dwellers, as stagnant water reached knee-high in low-lying areas including Bahaddarhat, Bakolia, Muradpur, Sholashahar, Halishahar, Kapashgola, Katalgonj and Chandgaon.
People and businesses in those areas were the worst sufferers. Traffic came to a halt on the CDA Avenue that went under water also on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Normalcy was partly restored in the afternoon in the city as water from the low-lying areas started receding after the rain had stopped.
Loading and unloading of container vessels at the jetties, however, resumed later, port officials said. Radio Control Room of the Chittagong Port Authority said four ships scheduled to arrive at the jetties could not reach due to the inclement weather, while two ships laden with export cargoes could not leave the port Saturday in the morning.
Officials at the Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC), the controlling authority of the lighterage vessels, said loading and unloading of cargoes and their transportation to mother vessels at the outer anchorage had remained suspended since Friday.
Rough weather in the sea and in the Karnaphuli channel disrupted movement of vessels forcing the ships to stay inoperative in the sea as well as at the port berths.
Mr Mahbub Rashid, executive director of the WTCC, said movement of ships had been fully suspended because of the rough weather.
The Patenga weather office in the city recorded 211.2 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending at 9.00 am Saturday.