The beach town Cox’s Bazar has seen unprecedented waterlogging in just a matter of 24 hours of heavy rain. This year rainfall triggered flash flooding many times in the town but this time is record-breaking.
According to Cox’s Bazar MET office, 501mm rainfall occurred in Cox’s Bazar making it the highest single day rainfall in past few decades. Thousands, especially those living in the low-laying areas, has been affected. According to many media reports, over 90 per cent of the town and its neighborhoods have been submerged.
Most of the low-laying areas have gone under water, almost all major roads including the Kolatoli beach road are inundated causing huge inconvenience for the residents and tourists. Reports indicate that around 25000 tourists are stranded as the roads and pathways in the hotel-motel zone are flooded and blocked. On Thursday evening when I was returning home, I was stuck on the street for more than two hours. On Friday the downpour continued accompanied by strong winds.
Sudden heavy rainfall trends have increased. Additionally, our habit of throwing garbage and wastes here and there often creates blocks in the drainage
With the incessant rainfall, the fear of landslide in the hilly areas is growing. Already, six persons died in two incidents of landslides. Among them, three in the refugee camps and three in the town’s suburb Jhilongjha union.
Many residents of the seaside town are saying they did not see such flooding in Cox’s Bazar in past 50 years. I have been living in the city for more than 5 years now, I did not experience flooding of this scale before.
Just last year major road and drainage construction works had been finished and this year the town is hit by such unprecedented flooding. As mentioned earlier that this town faced waterlogging multiple times this year. This may sound paradoxical as to why such a seaside town will see waterlogging many times in a year after the completion of its major roads and drainage construction works. What has gone wrong? What or who should be blamed for it – the new drainage systems or heavy rainfall?
During the monsoon, heavy rainfall is a common occurrence in this country. Of course, with the growing climate impacts, monsoon has been erratic and intense. However, there are other reasons that must be taken into account: unplanned or inadequate drainage development combined with the lack of proper waste management system has worsened the situation in Cox’s Bazar. On top of it, there is unabated hill-cutting and rainwater runs off unprotected soil from the hills which create blocks in the drainage.
Just weeks ago, we have seen catastrophic floods in Feni, Noakhali and Cumilla and nearby districts where post-flood recovery is yet ongoing. Waterlogging has been a major problem in other cities like Chittagong and Dhaka. The reason behind this is not unknown to us.
In the past, rainwater could flow down to the rivers and seas easily but now due to increasing private and public developments everywhere, both in rural and town area, watercourses and canals have been narrowed down. On the other hand, sudden heavy rainfall trends have increased. Additionally, our habit of throwing garbage and wastes here and there often creates blocks in the drainage.
A seaside town being flooded is unthinkable. To live better in this river delta in the age of rapid climate change, we must rethink about our development model. Our rivers, canals and watercourses must be saved from being narrowed down and from pollution. We must incorporate climate observations into our developments and at the same time our civic sense of disposing garbage in the designated places should prevail.
* Chowdhury Parvez Uddin is a resident of Cox’s Bazar.