Heavy rains leave Dhaka streets flooded

Four consecutive days of rainfall left Dhaka streets flooded yesterday, slowing down traffic. 

The city received 53 mm of rain on Sunday, followed by 25 mm on Monday, 28 mm on Tuesday, and 13 mm between 6am and 12 noon yesterday.

The city’s poor drainage system, clogged by polythene and net shopping bags, plastic bottles and food packing, could not bear the load. The commercial area in central Dhaka, the heartland of Paltan, the Press Club to Fakirerpool and Karwanbazar in front of a five-star hotel went under water.

The condition of the roads in Mouchak, Malibagh, and Maghbazar were further worsened by the construction work of a flyover. The entire area was already dug and the crater turned into a massive pool through which traffic waddled at a snail’s pace. Some even broke down on one such street under the flyover in south Dhaka’s Demra area, putting commuters in a tight spot. 

It was the same old story from Shantinagar to Malibagh and from Rajarbagh to Khilgaon, with people having to wade through pools of water or take rickshaws by paying a hefty sum. 

Long queues for buses were seen at Shahbagh, the Sonargaon roundabout and Farm Gate, as the public transport system slowed down on the waterlogged streets.

Met office sources said they expect more rain soon, even though the sun managed to peep through the deep layers of cloud yesterday afternoon.

The forecasts by BBC TV computer projections to the Indian Meteorological Department suggest rainfall over Bangladesh and northeastern India, where rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Barak are already swollen. 

These are sending a rush of water down the Brahmaputra into the Jamuna and the Surma and into the Kushiyara, which are already in spate.

Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) sources said the pressure of water rushing down the Brahmaputra has already swollen the Jamuna downstream from Bahadurabad to Sirajganj, though the river is flowing below its danger mark at both points.

Forecasts say the Brahmaputra-Jamuna would continue to rise in the next 72 hours. So would the Ganga-Padma system in the next 48 hours.

The Surma, which is flowing 72 cm above its danger mark in Sylhet, may steadily rise. 

The Kushiyara, which was flowing 78 cm and 68 cm respectively above the danger mark in Sylhet and near Maulvibazar yesterday, is likely to fall in the next 24 hours, the FFWC has forecast.

Heavy rains leave Dhaka streets flooded

Four consecutive days of rainfall left Dhaka streets flooded yesterday, slowing down traffic. The city received 53 mm of rain on Sunday, followed by 25 mm on Monday, 28 mm on Tuesday, and 13 mm between 6am and 12 noon yesterday. The citys poor drainage system, clogged by polythene and net shopping bags, plastic bottles and food packing, could not bear the load. The commercial area in central Dhaka, the heartland of Paltan, the Press Club to Fakirerpool and Karwanbazar in front of a five-star hotel went under water. The condition of the roads in Mouchak, Malibagh, and Maghbazar were further worsened by the construction work of a flyover. The entire area was already dug and the crater turned into a massive pool through which traffic waddled at a snails pace. Some even broke down on one such street under the flyover in south Dhakas Demra area, putting commuters in a tight spot. It was the same old storyfrom Shantinagar to Malibagh and from Rajarbagh to Khilgaon, with people having to wade through pools of water or take rickshaws by paying a hefty sum. Long queues for buses were seen at Shahbagh, the Sonargaon roundabout and Farm Gate, as the public transport system slowed down on the waterlogged streets. Met office sources said they expect more rain soon, even though the sun managed to peep through the deep layers of cloud yesterday afternoon. The forecasts by BBC TV computer projections to the Indian Meteorological Department suggest rainfall over Bangladesh and northeastern India, where rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Barak are already swollen. These are sending a rush of water down the Brahmaputra into the Jamuna and the Surma and into the Kushiyara, which are already in spate. Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) sources said the pressure of water rushing down the Brahmaputra has already swollen the Jamuna downstream from Bahadurabad to Sirajganj, though the river is flowing below its danger mark at both points. Forecasts say the Brahmaputra-Jamuna would continue to rise in the next 72 hours. So would the Ganga-Padma system in the next 48 hours. The Surma, which is flowing 72 cm above its danger mark in Sylhet, may steadily rise. The Kushiyara, which was flowing 78 cm and 68 cm respectively above the danger mark in Sylhet and near Maulvibazar yesterday, is likely to fall in the next 24 hours, the FFWC has forecast.