A number of areas has gone under knee-deep water in Chittagong city following the heavy downpour that started on Thursday night and continued till yesterday evening.
Office-goers became the worst victims as they had to wade through the knee-deep filthy water in order to reach destinations. Commuters, greatly outnumbering the transports, had to face immense trouble to travel through the water-logged areas.
The exuberant fares charged by the vehicle drivers added to their woes.
Condition of a number of roads deteriorated that resulted into long tailbacks.
Passengers were seen waiting inside vehicles with annoyance while pedestrians on roads had to fold their clothes up to knees and walk though the dirty water.
A number of them complained that water leaked from the sewerage system got mixed in the rainwater clogged on the streets.
Roadside shops and shanties were submerged. People were seen trying to scoop out the rainwater from their houses with buckets.
Most areas of the city including Halishahar, Beparipara, Sholoshahar, Muradpur, Aturar Dipo, Bibirhat, Bahaddarhat, Chwakbazar, Sulokbahar, Panchlaish, Saraipara, Pahartali, Sagarika and lower parts of Patenga coastal zone went under knee-deep water.
Mutasim Sifat, a resident of Shantibag, Halishahar, told the Dhaka Tribune: “People in this low-lying area have been suffering for last several years as during monsoon the rainwater clogged on the road is doubled by the water leaked though the sewerage lines.”
Loading and unloading of merchant vessels in the outer anchorage of the Chittagong Port remained halted for some hours due to the weather conditions, said sources at the Chittagong Port Authority.
According to the Chittagong Met Office, around 256 millimetres of rain was recorded till 6am yesterday.
The torrential rain and thunder shower accompanied with gusty wind will continue till next two or three days.
District Administration and Fire Service sources said they were on high alert to avert possible landslides in the hilly areas.
People living by the hills were instructed to shift to safer places like nearby school buildings and cyclone centres.
