City residents suffer as rain floods roads

Dhaka city dwellers suffered on Tuesday morning as a short rain shower submerged much of the city with water.

Many people had no other choice but to walk through the dirty water folding their trousers at knee level and holding their shoes in their hands.

The flooding of roads also created bad traffic jams in the areas.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, before midday, 33 millimetres of rainfall

was recorded to have fallen on Tuesday in Dhaka, which is considered a normal amount during the monsoon.

However, as the drainage system of the city can only remove around 12mm of water an hour, the short rainfall created havoc for office goers, schoolchildren, and pedestrians.

'Most of the rickshaw pullers refused to go to the destination which one wanted to go. And those who agreed ask almost double the fare. As a result, folding my trousers to the knee, I walk through water for a rickshaw that will charge a reasonable fare. We suffer a lot because of the flooding of roads,' Masudur Rahman, a private service holder, told New Age as he came from his house at Shantinagar.

For many people, the situation was very unhygienic. 'The sewage of the open drain comes onto the road,' said Rokshana Akhtar, a resident of Basabo. 'The hassle of walking through the dirt cannot be described.'

Al Amin, a taxi cab driver, was found pulling his car at Rajarbagh since the engine of his car stopped whilst he was waiting on the water logged road for hours while crossing the Mouchak point.

'I do not know how to pay the owner of the car. The flooding of roads creates enormous traffic jams and the cars face trouble crossing such roads,' Al Amin told New Age.

'Such flooding of roads is a huge problem during the rainy season. It is really difficult to move after a heavy rain and the flooding continues for several hours,' said another Dhaka resident living at Paikpara.

Whenever monsoon approaches, almost a third of the city area such as Motijheel, Shantinagar, Rajarbagh, Kakrail, Fakirapul, Mouchak, Nazimuddin Road, Jigatala, a few parts of Dhanmondi, Kazipara, Paikpara, Bijoy Sarani as well as some other places go under water.

Source : New Age