Following yesterday morning’s heavy downpour in the capital, Dhaka streets experienced what it sees regularly each year during monsoon – stagnated water and long tailbacks on its roads.
Although Dhaka commuters are familiar with traffic jams, their sufferings reached a different level yesterday as they had to wade through knee-high waters while looking for public transport – which also remained scarce because of slow traffic movement on the busiest streets in the city.
The morning rain inundated different low-lying areas of the capital including Purana Paltan, Shantinagar, Moghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Mirpur, Old Dhaka, Rajabazar, Shukrabad, Tejturibazar and Tejkunipara.
The Met Department has recorded 64mm of rainfall in Dhaka since morning.
Like previous years, Dhaka Wasa, the authority in charge of overseeing the capital’s water supply and sewerage system, has been carrying out renovations of the existing infrastructure before monsoon hits the city in full swing.
When contacted, Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqseem A Khan told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have started several projects to renovate the sewerage system and other issues. I hope that step by step we will overcome the problem.”
Meanwhile, during a visit to Shantinagar in the afternoon, Dhaka South Mayor Sayeed Khokon told reporters: “We have already taken some temporary steps to mitigate the [water stagnation] crisis.
“We will also discuss with Dhaka Wasa, Rajuk and urban planers on how to overcome the water stagnation situation,” the mayor added.
