167mm rainfall leaves parts of Ctg waterlogged again

Heavy rainfall has once again left several parts of Chattogram city waterlogged, with 167mm of rain recorded over the past 24 hours.

Continuous rain since this morning (17 August) inundated roads and alleys in low-lying areas, causing severe inconvenience to students, office-goers and pedestrians.

Areas including Halishahar, Katalganj, Hamzarbagh, Muradpur, Bibirhat, SM Road, Chawkbazar, Kapasgola, Reazuddin Bazar, Jamalkhan and Nupur Market were affected.

In some areas, roads were under knee-deep water, while water levels were even higher elsewhere, disrupting traffic and making movement difficult.

Abdur Rahman Khan, deputy director of the Chattogram Patenga Meteorological Office, told The Business Standard that 81mm of rain was recorded between 6am and 9am today.

"Over the past 24 hours, 167mm of rainfall has been recorded. Rain is still continuing," he said.

He added that local cautionary signal No. 3 remained in force for Chattogram port.

The waterlogging also reduced the number of public buses operating on major roads, while rickshaw and other small-vehicle drivers were charging several times the usual fares.

"Water is in front of my house, but I still have to go to work. I paid Tk40 for a rickshaw ride that normally costs Tk20. There seems to be no end to our suffering," said Md Ashraful Alam, a private-sector employee from Bibirhat.

Azgar Ali, an office-goer waiting for transport in Hamzarbagh, said, "There are fewer vehicles, and everyone rushes to board when one arrives. Standing water is also making movement difficult."

Waterlogging also affected Nupur Market in the New Market area, where water entered several bookshops and damaged books. Shopkeepers feared further losses if the water remained for a prolonged period.

The Business Standard tried to contact Chattogram City Corporation Chief Cleaning Officer Captain Ikhtiar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury for comment on the situation and drainage measures, but he did not respond to the call.

Ahmmad Moinuddin, project director and executive engineer of the Chattogram Development Authority's waterlogging mitigation project, said he was outside Chattogram and advised The Business Standard to contact the Army project director for an update on the project.

Residents said that despite initiatives taken every monsoon to tackle waterlogging, the same areas continue to go under water after only a few hours of heavy rain.

They said recurring waterlogging was disrupting commuters, students and businesses, and urged the authorities to ensure coordinated and effective management of the city's drainage system for a permanent solution.