The Dhaka city people suffered immensely on Thursday as downpour for about eight hours under the influence of cyclonic storm Mahasen sent most of the city roads
under water and caused water stagnation in many areas.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 45 millimetre rainfall from 6:00am to 12:00pm in the city on the day, said officials.
Office-goers and day labourers faced problems going to their places of work as filthy water remained stagnant on many roads and there was a shortage of mass transport.
Students and their parents suffered on way to schools while many parents did not send their children to schools amid such inclement weather.
Some schools declared their institution closed in the morning because of the torrential rains.
Roads in Malibagh, Rajarbagh, Mouchak, Shajahanpur, Chowdhurypara, Rampura, Khilgaon, Jigatola, Dhanmondi, Motijheel, Kazipara, Shewrapara and other low lying areas were flooded by filthy water which could not pass through the mostly clogged drainage systems.
‘The drainage system of Dhaka city is capable of draining 25 millimetres of water,’ said AKM Shahid Uddin, superintending engineer of the drainage (R&D) circle Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and also project director of WASA’s Removal of Water Logging in Dhaka City Project.
‘It will take a few more hours for the water to be removed from the roads,’ he told New Age at about 2:00pm.
Shahid Uddin said the drainage of the city is full of wastes impeding the normal water flow, causing the water stagnation. ‘It hampers flow of normal water through the city canals.’
He admitted that different types of wastes are also being dumped in the canals, which also hamper flow of water.
Mahima Khatun, a non-government service-holder living at Khilgaon, said she had to wait for more than an hour in front of her house for a vehicle.
‘Most of rickshaw-pullers refused to go. After a wait for an hour a rickshaw-puller agreed to go at doubled fare.’
‘Sewage of open drain comes onto the road and remained stagnant on the by-lane of my home,’ said Tanim Hossain, a resident at Malibagh. ‘I did not send my child to the school as the road was inundated amid incessant rainfall.’
‘There was knee-deep water in the Rajarbagh area. I had to wade through the water to return home from my office,’ said Shahriar Bin Atik, a resident of Shajahanpur area.
-With New Age input
