129mm of rain in 12 hours inundates Chattogram streets

Heavy rain has once again lashed Chattogram, leaving roads submerged in several parts of the city and causing widespread disruption. The downpour has also forced a number of educational institutions to suspend classes and examinations.

At around 10:00am on Sunday, roads in the city’s Ispahani C-Gate area were under knee-deep water, with vehicles struggling through the flooded streets.

The heavy rain disrupted commuters on the first working day of the week, many of whom were seen making their way to work wearing umbrellas and raincoats.

Rickshaws and CNG-run auto-rickshaws were also in short supply across different parts of the city. Passengers complained that drivers were demanding higher-than-usual fares.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said rainfall is continuing across different parts of the country due to an active monsoon. Chattogram is likely to experience further heavy to very heavy rainfall, increasing the risk of waterlogging in low-lying areas and landslides in the hill regions.

Mahmudul Alam, an official at the BMD’s Chattogram office, said 136.8mm of rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours until 9:00am on Sunday. Of that total, 129mm fell during the preceding 12 hours. He said the rain could continue for another two to three days.

Chattogram has been experiencing persistent rainfall for more than a week. Last Tuesday, the city recorded its highest single-day rainfall for July in 43 years. The downpour caused severe waterlogging in areas including Agrabad, Halishahar, Bakalia, Chandgaon, Chawkbazar, Katalganj and Patenga, with floodwater entering many homes and business establishments.

Although waterlogging had largely subsided over the past two days as rainfall eased, the latest spell of heavy rain has once again raised fears of widespread flooding in the city.