Dhaka city dwellers suffered immensely as most roads and alleys of the capital were submerged following rains that began early Friday, leading to water stagnation, which some areas could not get rid of until late evening.
Pedestrians, commuters, and examinees had to wade through knee-to-waist-deep water to reach their destinations, while many neighbourhoods were left without power and gas connections to avoid accidents.
Bazlur Rashid, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, reported that Dhaka received 130 millimetres of rainfall within six hours, starting at 6:00am.
鈥榃hile rainfall exceeding 89mm is classified as very heavy, amounts up to 150mm are typical during the rainy season. Rainfall exceeding 200mm is considered above normal during the monsoon,鈥� said the meteorologist.
Urban planners blamed two city corporations, now responsible for city drainage, for the water stagnation, while the city authorities blamed public haphazard dumping of waste, including plastic waste, and ongoing development projects carried out by different authorities for the situation.
Patients in Dhaka Medical College Hospital also suffered as rainwater entered the hospital鈥檚 emergency gate and Bagan gate.
DMCH director Asaduzzaman said that patients鈥� transportation was disrupted due to rainwater.
DMCH outpost in-charge Md Bachcchu Mia said that rainwater remained at the hospital even at 8:00pm.聽
Many shops and houses in different areas were also submerged, damaging goods in shops and furniture in houses.
Shopkeepers and residents were seen pumping water with motors at about 5:00pm in several areas, such as Azimpur, Nilkhet, Mirpur, Kathalbagan, and Kalabagan.
Dhaka Mohanagar Dokan Malik Samity joint secretary Dewan Aminul Islam Shahin said that several dozen markets and thousands of businesses went under water, causing huge damages to goods.
Dhanmondi Hawker鈥檚 Market, Dhaka New Market, Karwan Bazar Kitchen Market, Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Nilkhet Super Market, and Fulbaria Super Market were among the affected by water stagnation, he said.
He said that management had declared the New Market shut on Friday to avoid an untoward incident.
Many areas, including Palton, Shantinagar, Kathalbagan, Green Road, New Market, Segun Bagicha, Jurain, Mirpur-1, and Dhanmondi-27, were reported to be under water even for 10 hours after the rain stopped around noon.
Jahangir Alam, a resident of the capital鈥檚 Khilgaon, said that wastewater from a drain entered his home, damaging furniture and goods.
鈥楳y bedroom is still under water,鈥� he said around 7:00pm.
Anisur Rahman, a resident of Kathalbagan, said that they had been without gas and electricity since morning and could not cook聽 because of that.
I inquired about the power cut. Bangladesh Power Development Board officials said power supply was cut to avoid accidents,鈥� he said.
He added that the water had not receded by even 6:00pm, blaming the prolonged waterlogging in the area on a clogged drainage system.
Many examinees were late to reach the centre for the high school teachers鈥� registration exam that started at 9:00am due to rain and waterlogging.
Hafizul Islam, a private job holder, said that his sister missed her exam due to waterlogging in the Babubazar area and a shortage of vehicles on the roads, while his wife arrived at the exam hall around 30 minutes late.
Rainwater entered vehicles, including buses and CNG-run auto-rickshaws travelling along the main roads, leading to engine damage and breakdowns that created traffic congestion in different areas and compelled many drivers to pull their vehicles off the waterlogged roads.
The city corporation took charge of city draining in December 2020 as the Dhaka WASA failed to manage rainwater, which caused the same public suffering for years.
Urban Planning professor Akter Mahmud at Jahangirnagar University did not notice any significant move to solve waterlogging from the city corporations in the past three years since they had taken charge of city drainage from Dhaka WASA.
鈥榃aterlogging occurred due to the failure of the agency responsible for managing rainwater,鈥� he said, adding that the city authorities should remain prepared for high volumes of rain as the intensity of rain will only increase in the future due to climate change.聽
Dhaka North City Corporation chief executive officer Mir Khairul Alam, however, blamed people who throw waste indiscriminately and the ongoing development projects, including Dhaka Metro Rail, for the waterlogging.
Dhaka South City Corporation chief waste management officer Mohammad Nasim Ahmed said that development projects, including the Dhaka Metro Rail and Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, have destroyed several drainage systems, including those in Kamalapur and Banglamotor.
He also mentioned that in several areas, the annual drain cleaning activities, which typically occur from April to June, have not been completed yet, contributing to the prolonged waterlogging.
Adil Mohammed Khan, a professor at the Urban and Regional Planning Department of Jahangirnagar University, emphasised that unplanned urbanisation and the grabbing and filling of water bodies in Dhaka over the past 50 years were the primary reasons for severe waterlogging in the city.
He suggested restoring water bodies and maintaining green spaces to solve the waterlogging issue.
Urban planners also found a lack of coordination among the agencies, as many agencies, including Dhaka WASA, continued digging roads even during the rainy season.
Dhaka WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said that the city corporations鈥� allegations were funny. Officials were blaming Dhaka WASA for their ignorance of drainage management.
鈥楻oad digging may cause public suffering during rain, but it can never be a cause of waterlogging,鈥� he claimed.
Fire service duty officer Rozina Akter said that trees at different spots, including Mohammadpur, Khilgaon, Mirpur, and Gulistan, fell during the rain, disrupting traffic movement. Firefighters removed them from the road.
鈥楴o casualties related to waterlogging were reported until 5:00am,鈥� she said.
