Day-long rains water-logging cripple city life

Golam Mostafa Jibon: Several parts of the capital city Dhaka turned into swamps yesterday due to day-long untimely rainthat paralyzes normal life and creates a traffic chaos at places.
Sufferings of commutersespecially office and school goers mounted abnormally as most of the streets in the capital were submerged with the rain water crippling the transport system and forcing the commuters to wade through the knee or waist-deep water.
Though, the winter season was started few days ago, city dwellers yesterday witnessed day-long rains including sometimes drizzle, sometimes heavy rain andeven sometimes gusts of wind.
Although, some nature lovers enjoy such form of rain, it was a pain for poor and those, who were forced to come out of home on different pleas.
It was said doubtlessly that the rains in the digging city Dhaka increased the misery abnormally. The day-long rainwas caused of water-logging in different areas. This misery of the city dwellers was multiplied many times compared to other times as huge numbers of potholes were developed on different roads.
When there is a little rain in the capital Dhaka, there is misery due to severe water-logging. City dwellers are forced to walk through clay or knee-deep water. The most known Dhaka city then took shape in aunknown city. It causes a terrible traffic jam. Vehicles almost meet small and big shape of accidents due to invisible potholes on the roads. During a spot visit yesterday, this correspondent found that, severe water stagnationwas createdat different places includingBadda, Rampura, Rajarbagh, Kamalapur, Arambagh, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Mouchak and Moghbazar of the capital since morning. The feature of traffic jam on these roads took a terrible shape.
Due to continuous rains, the presence of people on the roads was also very thin. Many did not come out of homes without emergency. But, those, who were compelled to go to their offices or other places, faced immense sufferings.
After waiting for hours, many of them couldn’t move forward. Passengers as well as drivers were also expressed their displeasure due to water stagnation. Dirty water also spread stink at different places.
Abdul Hamid, a driver of Victor Classicbus told The Daily Industry that, “I have been seeing only development and development in the city for the last few years. However, the suffering onroads including Shantinagar-Malibagh-Mouchak-Magbazar and Malibagh Railgate area has not been abated. It is not easy to drive a car. My bus runs between Sadarghat and Abdullahpur Ashulia. Passengers are often angry with us due to their suffering caused by unsmooth roads. The situation is similar in most parts of the city including Mirpur, Rokeya Sarani, Badda, Old Dhaka’s Nazimuddin Road, Basabo, Mothertech, Jatrabari, Dhania, Gandaria, Sutrapur, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, New Market and Rayerbazar. Water got stagnated at these places.
Drainage construction works of the City Corporations and Dhaka WASA along the roadsare underway. In addition, excavation works are going on at different places by various service providers. Not only that the Metrorail construction works are main causes of digging here and there on the roads that adds more woes.
With the rain, the water filled the holes and became like a flat place. For this reason, the vehicles are the victims of accidents, while moving on the road, transport drivers and workers said.
Many people were seen to express their dissatisfaction on social media after suffering in the continuous rain.
Suffering of the homeless people, who live in the makeshift huts on the roadsides of the capital, increased due to rains and water-logging. The movement of short and long-distance vehicles was disrupted. City dwellers also blamed thepoor drainage system and Dhaka WASA for water-logging in the capital.
They said, “There were hundreds of canals in and around the capital city Dhaka. But, it has now stood at 43 as others have grabbed by the influential. Of them, 17 canals are hardly capable to flow their water smoothly, while rest other canals have been occupied by the encroachers. The condition of the rivers locating outside of Dhaka is also the same. Sitwat Naeem, Chief Waste Management Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation told The Daily Industry that,”We have beefed up the surveillance to evade water-logging. Meanwhile, the mouths of many drains and manholes have made open in which the rain water can leave smoothly in a short time. However, new drains are being constructed in different areas with a view to rapid removal of rain water. Besides, wastes especially polythene and plastics are being removed from thedrains by the city corporation workers in a bid to get rid from water stagnation. Hopefully, the city dwellers will get the benefit of it soon.”