Heavy rains cripple Dhaka

Intermittent rains totalling 79mm between 6am till 6pm yesterday threw normal life out of gear in the capital.
The traffic came to a standstill while plying through waterlogged streets. Lack of transportation options made the day for ubiquitous rickshaws and elusive auto-rickshaws, who enjoyed a windfall out of the miseries of daily commuters, especially office-goers and garments factory workers.
The old drainage system, which was built during the Mughal era, was unable to bear the load of water. Also, illegal occupation of drainage canals girdling the city resulted in immediate flooding of many neighbourhoods, especially the low-lying areas in and around the capital.
Normal life was disrupted across the country with incessant rains causing flash floods in the southeastern region, including Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong. The port city, in particular, was inundated, as its choked drains and silted as well as encroached canals failed to clear the heavy burst of water.
Met office sources have attributed the spell of heavy rains to a low pressure developing across the country. They said the rain would slow down after Saturday.
Most of Cox’s Bazar has gone under water after the district recorded 467mm of rains in the 24 hours. The road links between Teknaf and the district headquarters remain suspended due to waterlogged streets. Even the power lines have been disrupted by the torrential rains.

Those who built houses under the local hills are living in fear of landslides. They had stripped the hills of their greenery to build houses, which has exacerbated the possibility of deadly landslides.
The local administration has already posted warnings to the people living precariously under the barren hills to leave. Flash floods have damaged betel leaf groves and crop fields widely across the district.
Meanwhile, the Met office lifted the Number 3 warning signal for the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Paira, as the steep pressure gradient over the Bay of Bengal has subsided. However, the warning issued to fishing boats and trawlers—that they should not venture out to the deep sea—has not been withdrawn. This warning was issued due to poor visibility in the Bay, which has been caused by an active monsoon.

Heavy rains cripple Dhaka

Intermittent rains totalling 79mm between 6am till 6pm yesterday threw normal life out of gear in the capital. The traffic came to a standstill while plying through waterlogged streets. Lack of transportation options made the day for ubiquitous rickshaws and elusive auto-rickshaws, who enjoyed a windfall out of the miseries of daily commuters, especially office-goers and garments factory workers. The old drainage system, which was built during the Mughal era, was unable to bear the load of water. Also, illegal occupation of drainage canals girdling the city resulted in immediate flooding of many neighbourhoods, especially the low-lying areas in and around the capital. Normal life was disrupted across the country with incessant rains causing flash floods in the southeastern region, including Coxs Bazar and Chittagong. The port city, in particular, was inundated, as its choked drains and silted as well as encroached canals failed to clear the heavy burst of water. Met office sources have attributed the spell of heavy rains to a low pressure developing across the country. They said the rain would slow down after Saturday. Most of Coxs Bazar has gone under water after the district recorded 467mm of rains in the 24 hours. The road links between Teknaf and the district headquarters remain suspended due to waterlogged streets. Even the power lines have been disrupted by the torrential rains. Those who built houses under the local hills are living in fear of landslides. They had stripped the hills of their greenery to build houses, which has exacerbated the possibility of deadly landslides. The local administration has already posted warnings to the people living precariously under the barren hills to leave. Flash floods have damaged betel leaf groves and crop fields widely across the district. Meanwhile, the Met office lifted the Number 3 warning signal for the maritime ports of Chittagong, Coxs Bazar, Mongla and Paira, as the steep pressure gradient over the Bay of Bengal has subsided. However, the warning issued to fishing boats and trawlersthat they should not venture out to the deep seahas not been withdrawn. This warning was issued due to poor visibility in the Bay, which has been caused by an active monsoon.