Civic life of the port city paralysed following the three days incessant rain accompanied with the thunder bolt and gusty wind from early hours Saturday last .
The low- lying areas of the port city including ground floors of the building, shops and business houses badly damaged by the rain water accompanied with high tide of the sea. Most of the areas inundated with knee deep to waist deep water in the city and plying of city buses, public transports except paddle run rickshaws remained stranded in the submerged areas. Being weekly holiday on Friday, all the shops and venders in the low lying areas could not take care of their commodities as they were sleeping in the early morning of Saturday.
The whole sale market of rice, flour, wheat , sugar in Khatungonj and Chaktai areas badly damaged as the major godowns of these commodities are in the ground floor. Chitttagong Metrological department sources said the torrential rain with the impact of seasonal weather , this downpour occurred. Sources said in the last 24 hours rain, weather office recorded 117 milimeter rains.
Local sources said one third areas of the city have been inundated which creates miseries among the city dwellers. The shanties of the low lying areas washed away by the heavy current of water and the slum dwellers could not imagine about heavy flow of water at very early morning. It is learnt from different sources said Kapagola, Badurtala, Rahattarpool, Kalamiah bazaar, Mohra, Halishahar, Pantenga, Bandar, Agrabad, Chaktai, Khatungonj, Chowkbazar, Nasirabad were submerged.
The badly affected persons are grocery shop owners, vegetable venders , and floating commodity venders and the slum area people. Due to holiday on Friday, the school students and their guardians somehow relieved from miseries taking their children. The speed of the rain became slow rather dazzling on Friday night but from morning yesterday, moderate rain is pouring . Both side of chaktai khal flowing through out the Bakalia area also inundated both banks of the Khal yesterday noon during tide hour of the sea. The construction work of the retaining wall of the Chaktai khal hampered badly and before the dredging the khal, downpour begins.
Different local sources said if the canals and drains are properly dredged before the rainy seasons, this type of miseries could not be effected to the city dwellers and blamed the city corporation management for this undesired miseries . On the other hand, the prices of the vegetables, essential commodities gone up instantly in the kitchen markets following the damage of commodities . The unscrupulous venders, whole sales and retainers are taking advantages of maximum benefits centring the sudden natural calamities. District Agri Officer Aminul Hoque chowdhury told the New Nation that the major vegetable produces in Chandanaish, dohazari, Satkania, Banskhali, Sitakunda, Rangunia , Raozan, Fatikchari and the vegetable fields in these area damaged badly by incessant rain and hence the scarcity of vegetable will be witnessed this year . Our Raozan correspondent sources said entire Raozan upazila areas adjoining to Chittagong Hill district inundated by flood flash water and Sadar union of Raozan, Sultanpur Dabua badly affected with flash water. Conscious circles observed government should provide commodity items like rice, wheat, flour, onion, garlic, sugar in the affected areas with fair price sale for certain period to relieve their miseries.
Meanwhile city Mayor AJM Nasiruddin expressed deep sorrow over the sudden water-logging in the city caused damaging of properties yesterday. City Mayor in the morning after heavy downpour visited different city areas including Bandar, Patenga, Agrabad and witnessed the miseries of the dwellers. He expressed shock over the sudden damage of household materials and damaging the shanties While visiting Halishahar areas, the local blames miseries due to Moheskhal embankment .Mayor assures them to demolish the embankment at the estuary of Moheskhal, sources said.
Our Ctg Correspondent sources said most parts of Chittagong city and district under the influence of depression formed in the Bay experienced moderate to heavy rainfall causing immense sufferings to the people for last two days. The moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds caused suspension of power supply for hours, inundation of low lying areas of the city and coastal belts, blowing away of tin-shed roofs, razing huge dwelling houses to the ground and uprooting of countless trees.
Chittagong Met Office recorded 117.5 millimeters of rainfall in last 24 hours ending at 12 noon.
The only means of communication for the residents of the aforesaid areas are boats and vans as the roads and by-lanes are flooded by knee to waist deep water.
The residents, mostly Muslim devotees had to suffer as deluge poured into their residents and they remained stuck in water since Sehri time. Loading and unloading activities of bulk cargoes at Chittagong Port were also affected owing to heavy shower coupled with gusty winds.
