Waterlogging keeps Ctg submerged for five days

Monsoon rain has been leaving the low-lying areas of Chattogram under knee-deep water daily for the past few days since July 5, causing residents and traders immense suffering.

On Wednesday, several hours of torrential rains left the inhabitants of low-lying areas stranded. The areas which have gone under knee-deep water are: Bakolia, Chandgaon, Bahadderhat, Chawk Bazar, Badurtala, Nasirabad, Halishahar, Patenga, Kattali, and Chaktai. Normal rain has been causing water logging in the low-lying areas of the city.

With several projects still ongoing since undertaken years ago, a three-year-old child, identified as Humayra Akter, fell into a drain on Wednesday in the city's Anandapur, Halishahar.

Kamrul Islam, a fire service official, said she might have fallen as she could not see the drain due to waterlogging. Sub-Inspector Imon Dutta of Halishahar Police Station confirmed the death.

The local meteorological department recorded a total of 160.20 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours to 3 pm on Wednesday.

The Met office hoisted Local Cautionary Signal Number 3 for Chattogram and warned of a very rough Bay of Bengal which would be triggered by monsoon winds. The Met office also said that continuous rain would hit Chattogram in the next four to five days causing temporary waterlogging in the low lying areas of Chattogram.

Most areas of Chattogram were inundated on Wednesday due to the heavy torrential rains as the movement of vehicles and pedestrians was negligible.

Mohammed Sekandar, a wholesale trader of Khatongonj, said that the water of high tide entered Chaktai, Khatunganj, Asadganj areas during the rain last night and damaged goods.

Chattogram's people have been suffering daily due to the rainfall every monsoon. Traders and businessmen of the most important business hubs in Chattogram are the worst victims of the waterlogging caused by the rainfall.

Chaktai Khatongonj Merchant Welfare Association demanded to evict the illegal establishment from the bank of Chaktai canal, which is known as the sorrow of Chattogram.

They also demanded to dig the cannel and stop the dumping of wastes in the waterbody.

Sources said, the works of a mega project of around Tk 60 billion, which was started in 2018, is 80 per cent completed. But, water logging is yet to be resolved.

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