The low-lying parts of Chittagong city have again gone under knee-high to waist-deep water, severely disrupting the lives of the city dwellers, after experiencing heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty or squally wind since Sunday.
According to Patenga Met Office, 113.8 mm rainfall was recorded in the last 24 hours, as of 3pm on Tuesday.
The Met Office also warned that the torrential rain might trigger landslides in some parts of the port city.
Many of the city’s low-lying areas, including Sholoshohor Gate No 2, Agrabad, Prabartak Circle, Chawkbazar, Muradpur, Shulakbahar, Bahaddarhat, Pahartali, Kalamia Bazar, Kalurghat, Chandgaon, and Bakalia are already under knee-high or waist-deep water.
The commuters, including office-goers, students, and apparel factory workers, suffered immensely due to the incessant downpour.
The water also inundated many residential houses and business firms in the low-lying areas, leaving people marooned.
A bus follows a rickshaw in wading through waist-deep water amidst rain in Muradpur area of Chittagong city on July 24, 2018 | Focus Bangla
A large number of motor vehicles were seen stranded in waterlogged areas throughout the city. Many had gotten stuck after their engines died in knee to waist-deep water.
Unlike other cities in the country, Chittagong is gifted with a natural drainage system, having a long network of canals, to drain out storm water into the rivers and the Bay of Bengal.
However, nearly a third of the city goes underwater every monsoon as its southern part gets inundated during high tide even with no rainfall.
City planners blame unplanned urbanization, illegal refilling, and encroachment of canals and drains for obstructing the free flow of water. All sorts of solid waste also worsen the situation, especially in the rainy season.
Moreover, due to indiscriminate hill cutting in the city, soil is washed down with rainwater and fills drains and nearby water bodies, causing water stagnation.
A rickshaw van, carrying passengers, wades through waist-deep water amidst rain as a covered van follows its lead in Muradpur area of Chittagong city on July 24, 2018 | Focus Bangla
People asked to move away from risky areas
Chittagong District Administration on Tuesday also asked people living on hills or at the base of hills or slopes in different city areas to move to safer places to avoid landslide-related casualties.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Md Delwar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that the nearest schools in those areas were declared shelters so that people can take refuge.
According to the administration, there are 28 hills classified as vulnerable in the district. These are owned by individuals and different government, autonomous, and private organizations, including Bangladesh Railway, Public Works Department, Chittagong Wasa, and Chittagong City Corporation.
So far, the administration has listed 684 families who are living on these foothills that stand at the risk of landslides.