Heavy rainfall spanning from Saturday night until Sunday morning left various areas of the capital, including Mirpur’s Kazipara, severely waterlogged.
Knee-deep water accumulated on the main road in Kazipara, submerging the pavements on both sides. Even at around 4:00 pm yesterday (Monday), nearly 33 hours later, the roads in the area remained inundated.
Sohel Hossain, who runs a temporary roadside stall selling bread, bananas, tea, and biscuits next to the Kazipara Metro Rail Station, was unable to open his shop on Sunday due to the waterlogging.
Speaking at around 4:00 pm yesterday, he noted that the water stagnant on the road had still not receded.
At around 1:00 pm yesterday, a nearly 250-metre stretch of Begum Rokeya Sarani, stretching from the Al Helal Hospital towards Kazipara from the Mirpur-10 roundabout, was found largely submerged.
While some sections adjacent to both sides of the road divider were dry, water had risen up to the divider in most places. Pedestrians faced immense hardship trying to cross the road while avoiding the water, with many seen wading through with their shoes in hand. Vehicles moving slowly along a single lane caused temporary traffic congestion in the area.
When asked about the cause of the waterlogging, Motiur Rahman, Executive Engineer of Zone-4 under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), explained that rainwater from Kazipara previously drained through two separate routes.
To alleviate waterlogging at the Mirpur-10 roundabout, the outlets from that area were integrated with Kazipara’s drainage network. Consequently, while water clears rapidly from the roundabout, it is now taking significantly longer for the water in Kazipara to recede.
Same sufferings for a decade
Between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Monday, waterlogging was observed on roads across various areas under both city corporations in the capital. Stagnant water remained on the road in front of the Priyanka Chinese Restaurant area in Mirpur-1, Kalshi Road, Sobhanbagh, Tollabag, Shukrabad, Paschim Rajabazar, as well as Tanpara and Jamtala in Khilkhet.
Meanwhile, within the jurisdiction of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), water accumulation was visible on the road in front of Dhanmondi Hawkers’ Market in the New Market area, Orphanage Road in Lalbagh, the area in front of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education office, Zahir Raihan Road adjacent to Dhaka Medical College, Chankharpul, the road in front of Shahidullah Hall, Bakshibazar intersection, Motijheel, Arambagh, Naya Paltan, Fakirapool, Shantinagar, and Kathalbagan.
At around 2:00 pm yesterday, a roughly 100-metre stretch of road from the Tollabag area to the Shukrabad Jam-e-Mosque was found waterlogged. Knee-deep water had accumulated across various parts of the road, through which local residents were seen wading. Many were forced to hire rickshaws just to cross the submerged sections.
Suman Islam, a resident of Tollabag, remarked that water accumulates on this road whenever it rains, noting that they have endured this plight for a very long time.
In his words, “There is absolutely no change. We have been facing the exact same hardship for a decade. The road has been elevated at least twice during this period. Previously, even more water used to accumulate on the street. Now, not only does water log the road, but it also flows backwards into the ground floors of nearby residential buildings.”
“Sales suspended for 2 days”
At around 2:30 pm yesterday, knee-deep water was seen logged on the road in front of Nurjahan Super Market and Dhanmondi Hawkers Market in the New Market area.
Pedestrians struggled to move through the water, which surged into the ground floors of the markets due to the waves created by passing vehicles. This forced many shopkeepers on the lower levels to keep their businesses closed.
Roadside stalls on the pavements were covered in polythene sheets. A few shopkeepers were spotted attempting to clear manhole openings with sticks to help the water drain away. However, the opposite side of the road, directly in front of Dhaka New Market, remained entirely free of water.
Moazzem Hossain, a roadside vendor, stated that just an hour of rain causes water to accumulate on the road in front of Nurjahan Shopping Centre.
In his words, “When I arrived on Sunday morning, I found my stall completely submerged. My goods was ruined after getting soaked in the filthy water. Even today, the road is flooded and the water isn’t receding. Business has come to a complete standstill for the past two days.”
Between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm, knee-deep water was also found accumulated on Orphanage Road in Lalbagh, the road in front of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education office in Bakshibazar, and the area in front of Dhaka University’s Shahidullah Hall.
Local residents mentioned that before Sunday’s heavy rainwater could fully drain away, fresh rainfall on Monday morning exacerbated the waterlogging.
The waterlogging on the road in front of the Education Board office in Bakshibazar triggered prolonged traffic congestion. Drivers attempted to navigate through the relatively elevated sections of the road.
In the afternoon, a goods van overturned while moving through the water. Around the same time, a Leguna (engine-run locally made smaller public transport) broke down after water entered its engine, leaving passengers stranded mid-journey and in deep distress.
No solution without reclaiming canals
Speaking about the situation, Mohammad Safiullah Siddique Bhuiyan, Superintending Engineer of the Waste Management Department at DSCC, told Prothom Alo that the water from the Dhaka south city area is discharged via three pump stations.
Stating that these stations can swiftly clear a maximum of 25–30 mm of rainwater, he said, “The rainfall received was several times higher than this capacity, which is why the water is taking longer to recede, resulting in waterlogging in some areas.”
He observed that installing more pump stations across Dhaka south is essential to ensure swift drainage.
Yesterday morning, during the busy early hours of the working day, commuters, students, and citizens from various walks of life faced immense suffering due to waterlogged streets, a shortage of public transport, and exorbitant fares demanded by rickshaws and CNG-run auto-rickshaws.
Many passengers were seen standing with umbrellas in hand for extended periods, waiting for buses in various parts of the capital. With buses failing to arrive, many opted for alternative means, wading through knee-deep water to reach their destinations, while others paid inflated fares to travel by rickshaw or CNG auto-rickshaw.
The overall situation regarding the accumulated rainwater across various areas under the jurisdiction of Dhaka north city was inspected by the DNCC Administrator, Shafiqul Islam Khan yesterday afternoon.
Regarding the mitigation of waterlogging and public suffering, the administrator stated, “We must reclaim the canals that have been illegally encroached upon and work towards resolving the waterlogging. Until these canals are fully restored, the city’s waterlogging problem will never be permanently mitigated.”
