Record showers ‘drown’ Dhaka

Two hours of heavy downpour left the capital virtually under water yesterday, slowing down vehicular movement and causing massive traffic gridlocks on the streets.

According to the Dhaka Met Office, the city had received 123 mm of rain till 6 pm yesterday, breaking the previous record of 96 mm rainfall in three hours on April 4, 2006. The Met Office has forecast more rains today.

The heavy rainfall yesterday was due to the formation of a localised cell because of heat mating with high humidity carried by south-easterly winds from the northern Bay of  

Bengal, where Monsoon was fairly active, Bazlur Rashid, a senior meteorologist at the Dhaka Met Office, told The Independent.

Similar localised cells had triggered 24 mm of rains over the city on Wednesday, he added. The seat of the government at the Secretariat and the trade and commerce hub at Motijheel faced the dual brunt of waterlogging and traffic congestions. The streets around Fakirerpool, Dainik Bangla, Paltan and Press Club suffered the same fate. Even the flyover between Moghbazar and Tejgaon was affected, with the traffic flow at both ends facing heavy congestions.  

Anwar Hossain, an auto-rickshaw driver ferrying passengers from the old city’s Postagola area to Khilkhet, complained that he was stuck in traffic congestion in front of BG Press after taking almost two hours to cross the flyover. The old city suffered the most, with the street from Bangabazar to the old Central Jail and surrounding roads going under knee-deep water.

The situation was no better in Dhanmondi. Even Minto Road, which boasts of housing ministers and senior officials, witnessed waterlogging for some time due to overflowing drains. But they were cleared by the evening. The situation was the worst in Mirpur, where the water level reached the rickshaw footboards.

Passengers complained that rickshaw-pullers were charging exorbitant fares to cash in on the situation. “It’s a short journey for which I usually pay Tk. 10,” she added.

However, the Bangladesh Fire Service did a commendable job by providing ferry services to stranded pedestrians in their lifeboats on the flooded streets of Motijheel and Kakrail, Shantinagar and Malibagh.

Record showers drown Dhaka

Two hours of heavy downpour left the capital virtually under water yesterday, slowing down vehicular movement and causing massive traffic gridlocks on the streets. According to the Dhaka Met Office, the city had received 123 mm of rain till 6 pm yesterday, breaking the previous record of 96 mm rainfall in three hours on April 4, 2006. The Met Office has forecast more rains today. The heavy rainfall yesterday was due to the formation of a localised cell because of heat mating with high humidity carried by south-easterly winds from the northern Bay of Bengal, where Monsoon was fairly active, Bazlur Rashid, a senior meteorologist at the Dhaka Met Office, told The Independent. Similar localised cells had triggered 24 mm of rains over the city on Wednesday, he added. The seat of the government at the Secretariat and the trade and commerce hub at Motijheel faced the dual brunt of waterlogging and traffic congestions. The streets around Fakirerpool, Dainik Bangla, Paltan and Press Club suffered the same fate. Even the flyover between Moghbazar and Tejgaon was affected, with the traffic flow at both ends facing heavy congestions. Anwar Hossain, an auto-rickshaw driver ferrying passengers from the old citys Postagola area to Khilkhet, complained that he was stuck in traffic congestion in front of BG Press after taking almost two hours to cross the flyover. The old city suffered the most, with the street from Bangabazar to the old Central Jail and surrounding roads going under knee-deep water. The situation was no better in Dhanmondi. Even Minto Road, which boasts of housing ministers and senior officials, witnessed waterlogging for some time due to overflowing drains. But they were cleared by the evening. The situation was the worst in Mirpur, where the water level reached the rickshaw footboards. Passengers complained that rickshaw-pullers were charging exorbitant fares to cash in on the situation. Its a short journey for which I usually pay Tk. 10, she added. However, the Bangladesh Fire Service did a commendable job by providing ferry services to stranded pedestrians in their lifeboats on the flooded streets of Motijheel and Kakrail, Shantinagar and Malibagh.