Torrential rain under the influence of an active monsoon and a low-pressure system caused severe waterlogging across several areas of Chattogram city on Monday, disrupting daily life and mobility for thousands of residents.
According to the Patenga Meteorological Office, 56.6 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours till 9:00am Monday.
Forecaster Mahmudul Haque said that although the low-pressure system had weakened, the monsoon remained active for which moderate to heavy rainfall is expected to continue over the next 48 hours. This could intensify into very heavy rainfall, prompting warnings for potential landslides in hilly areas.
The heavy downpour submerged major city roads in areas, including Katalganj Residential Area, Kapasgola, parts of Chawkbazar, Aturar Depot, Muradpur, GEC Intersection, Hajipara, and parts of the Agrabad commercial area. In some areas, water entered ground-floor residences and shops, while streets and alleys were inundated up to knee and waist levels.
Public transport was severely affected. CNG run auto-rickshaws, rickshaws and battery-run vehicles were either scarce or completely absent from the roads, forcing commuters to pay exorbitant fares through waterlogged streets.
Mahbub Alam, a resident of Chawkbazar, said, 鈥業t was extremely difficult to find public transport amid the downpour. My daughter had an exam, so I had no choice but to hire a CNG auto-rickshaw at double the normal fare. We鈥檙e practically held hostage during such times.鈥�
Tanjim Sarwar, a banker, echoing similar concerns, said 鈥楾here was knee-deep water on Siraj-ud-Doula Road and a two-kilometre-long tailback. For private jobholders, just reaching the office becomes an ordeal. And if we鈥檙e late, it can mean a salary cut.鈥�
鈥楾his has become a monthly crisis. Heavy rain always floods our area. Despite so many ongoing development projects, the waterlogging issue remains unresolved,鈥� he added.
Chattogram City Corporation mayor Dr Sahadat Hossain visited several flooded and landslide-prone areas in the morning. Announcements using the public address system were made in vulnerable hill areas to alert residents.
Speaking during an inspection in Kapasgola and Katalganj areas in the city, the mayor said, 鈥榃e鈥檝e managed to reduce waterlogging by 50 per cent. This is a gradual process. Out of 57 canals, the Chattogram Development Authority is currently working on 36, of which 22 have been fully completed. Fourteen more remain, and an additional 20 canals also require renovation.鈥�
The mayor said that water no longer stagnated for an entire day as it once did.
鈥楴ow, the water is drained within 1鈥�2 hours after dissipation of the rain,鈥� he continued and said previously areas like Bahaddarhat, Muradpur and Mirzapul used to accumulate rainwater throughout the day.
After demolishing illegal structures built over drains, the situation had improved now, the mayor claimed.
鈥極nce the box culvert project in Agrabad is completed, we expect significant improvement there too,鈥� he hoped.
Four major government projects at an estimated cost of Tk 14,399 crore are currently underway to tackle Chattogram鈥檚 decades-long waterlogging problem.
Among the projects, the CDA-led mega project covering 36 canals is the most extensive, with a budget of Tk 8,626 crore and a completion deadline set for June next year.
So far, 84% of the project is complete, according to the project authorities.
The Hijra Canal, crucial for drainage in Katalganj, Panchlaish and Muradpur, remains unfinished.
Meanwhile, the city corporation has identified a nearly 3-kilometre-long box culvert in Agrabad, clogged with garbage, as a major cause of flooding in the area.
Cleaning efforts of the culvert are currently underway, the authorities said.
