Questions over spending thousands of crores of taka on waterlogging in Chattogram

The port city of Chattogram is experiencing unremitting rain. Most areas of the city are submerged in water. Along with this, there is a strong wind. The sky is cloudy, making the surroundings of the city quite dark since morning. It has been raining sometimes in drizzle and sometimes in torrents since morning. 

Vehicles are unable to ply as most roads are submerged under water. This has caused extreme suffering to professionals and ordinary people. In this situation, despite spending thousands of crores of taka to relieve waterlogging, city residents are questioning why the situation remains like this.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded the highest rainfall in Chattogram on Tuesday compared to the last four decades. The agency is predicting heavy rainfall until Thursday. 

As the continuous rains have continued since Wednesday morning, most low-lying areas of the city, including Muradpur, Bahaddarhat, Mohammadpur, Chawkbazar, Agrabad, Halishahar, Uttar Katrali, Dewan Bazar, Kapasgola, and Pravartak, have been waterlogged.

Roads in Chattogram city submerged

Somewhere the water is knee-deep and in some places it is even deeper, obstructing the movement of vehicles. This is causing immense suffering to the common people. Water has also entered houses in some areas.

Assistant Meteorologist of the Patenga Meteorological Department Biswajit Chowdhury said that Chattogram has received 283 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours till 6 am on Wednesday. Heavy rain is likely to continue till Thursday due to the active monsoon.

The victims have expressed their anger over the waterlogging that has been occurring across the city for two days. In this situation, the common people have raised the question of why there is no benefit even after spending thousands of crores of taka to resolve the waterlogging. 

They are also of the opinion that those responsible cannot avoid responsibility for this situation.

Waterlogging in Chattogram city

Poppy Begum, a resident of the Muradpur area of the city, said, “Muradpur road is submerged under water. Even after waiting for two hours, the water is not decreasing; on the contrary, it is increasing. I couldn’t go to the office on Tuesday due to waterlogging. The situation is the same today on Wednesday. The office is calling me repeatedly. I don’t know how to reach the office.”

Water has entered homes, offices and business establishments

Chawkbazar resident Imam Chowdhury said, “I often see officials of several organisations, including the mayor of Chawkbazar, beating drums and conducting cleanliness drives to resolve waterlogging. But in reality, the city residents are not getting much benefit from all this. Most areas are submerged in water in just a few hours of rain. In some places, water is accumulating from the knees to the waist. So where are the thousands of crores of taka going? When will the suffering of the city residents end?”