Chattogram City submerged after heavy rainfall
Persistent heavy rainfall has triggered severe waterlogging across large parts of Chattogram city, inundating roads, residential areas, and business establishments, causing widespread suffering for residents. Office commuters and students faced major disruptions on Tuesday morning, while several educational institutions postponed their half-yearly examinations due to the adverse weather conditions.
Since Tuesday (July 7) morning, knee- to waist-deep water has accumulated in several low-lying areas, including Agrabad, Chawkbazar, Bakalia, Chandgaon, Patenga, Kuaish, Kazir Hat, Halishahar, Sunnia Madrasa Road, and Akmal Ali Road.
With major roads submerged, vehicular movement has been severely disrupted. Long traffic jams have developed in many parts of the city, leading to an acute shortage of public transport and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws. As a result, many office workers and residents were forced to walk to their destinations or pay higher-than-usual fares for transportation.
Residents of Akmal Ali Road, Muradpur, and Chawkbazar said rainwater entered the ground floors of numerous buildings during the morning downpour. Household furniture and belongings were damaged, leaving many families in distress. Water also flooded shops and commercial establishments, causing significant losses to business inventory.
Local residents Saiful Islam and Ariful Islam expressed frustration, saying that the city experiences the same ordeal every monsoon season. They questioned why Chattogram continues to suffer from severe waterlogging even after the implementation of drainage projects worth billions of taka, adding that no lasting solution has yet been achieved.
Half-Yearly Examinations Postponed
Several educational institutions have postponed their half-yearly examinations to ensure students' safety amid the worsening weather conditions.
Hasan Imam, headmaster of Patenga City Corporation Girls' High School, said the examination scheduled for July 7 had been postponed because of the inclement weather. However, he added that the remaining examinations would be held according to the previously announced schedule.
330 Millimetres of Rainfall in 24 Hours
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, exceptionally heavy rainfall has been recorded in the Chattogram region due to an active monsoon.
The Patenga Meteorological Office recorded 330.8 millimetres of rainfall during the 24-hour period from 9:00 am Monday to 9:00 am Tuesday.
During the same period, the Ambagan Meteorological Office recorded 259 millimetres of rainfall.
Bijon Roy, Officer-in-Charge of the Ambagan Meteorological Office, said the active monsoon is likely to continue producing heavy rainfall over the next two to three days. He warned that waterlogging in the city's low-lying areas could worsen if the rain persists.