Heavy rain, waterlogging bring life to grinding halt in Bangladeshi capital
                 Source: Xinhua | 2017-07-27 11:19:36 | Editor: huaxia

People wade through a water-logged road after heavy rains in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Salim Reza)

DHAKA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains lashed the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Wednesday, leading to waterlogging in major roads that crippled movement of traffic across the city.

Rickshaws emerged as a means of relief in many water-logged Dhaka areas that are usually buzzing with activity. The districts appeared less crowded as people preferred to stay indoors.

Heavy rainfall left many roads and lanes inundated making it tough for commuters to make their way through them.

Most three-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and taxis avoided the roads that are vulnerable to water stagnation fearing the risk of being stranded.

Major roads, lanes and junctions including the government's secretariat, administrative hub of the country, were feet deep in water and residents of Dhaka's low-lying areas reported ground floors submerged and waist deep flooding in the streets outside.

Torrential heavy downpour also exposed the pitiable conditions of Dhaka's drainage system.

With the rain forcing people to either cancel or postpone their plans of venturing out, businesses received a severe beating.

Activities in the country's main business district of Motijheel also suffered to some extent as most roads went under ankle-to-knee deep water on Wednesday morning.

Students did not turn up at their respective institutions, while many office-goers, traders and workers fell much behind their daily schedules.

Businesswoman Rokhsana Rahman Rukasi, who was going to pick her daughter from her school, got drenched in rain.

"Unfortunately my car was stuck in the middle of the road in rain water. If we had special arrangements for drainage system then such worst situation would not have been there," she said.

Gunijan Aadi Tripura, a student of Dhaka's leading Notre Dame College, said the situation caused by rain water is extremely bad.

"I have a quiz test. Don't know whether the test will be held in such situation. If such situation persists then we will suffer setback in our studies," he said.

Heavy rain has also taken its toll on Md. Rajib, a three wheeler driver, whose three-wheeler became stuck due to heavy rain.

"Now we are trapped in water with passengers. Suffering with passengers as we got stuck on the road after engine went out of order," he said.

The country's meteorological office said it recorded 57 mm of rainfall from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

Due to active monsoon, heavy (44-88 mm) to very heavy (89 mm or more) rainfall is likely to occur at places over Dhaka and elsewhere in the country during next 24 hours, it said in a statement.

Landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division, it added.

Landslide-related casualties continued unabated in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong hill region, with fresh reports of injuries and deaths on Tuesday.

Five more people were killed in rain-triggered fresh landslides and wall collapse in southeastern Bangladesh.

At least 153 people were reported to have been killed and hundreds of others injured in the landslides that devastated places in five districts in Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeastern Bangladesh on June 11.

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Heavy rain, waterlogging bring life to grinding halt in Bangladeshi capital

Source: Xinhua 2017-07-27 11:19:36

People wade through a water-logged road after heavy rains in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Salim Reza)

DHAKA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains lashed the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Wednesday, leading to waterlogging in major roads that crippled movement of traffic across the city.

Rickshaws emerged as a means of relief in many water-logged Dhaka areas that are usually buzzing with activity. The districts appeared less crowded as people preferred to stay indoors.

Heavy rainfall left many roads and lanes inundated making it tough for commuters to make their way through them.

Most three-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and taxis avoided the roads that are vulnerable to water stagnation fearing the risk of being stranded.

Major roads, lanes and junctions including the government's secretariat, administrative hub of the country, were feet deep in water and residents of Dhaka's low-lying areas reported ground floors submerged and waist deep flooding in the streets outside.

Torrential heavy downpour also exposed the pitiable conditions of Dhaka's drainage system.

With the rain forcing people to either cancel or postpone their plans of venturing out, businesses received a severe beating.

Activities in the country's main business district of Motijheel also suffered to some extent as most roads went under ankle-to-knee deep water on Wednesday morning.

Students did not turn up at their respective institutions, while many office-goers, traders and workers fell much behind their daily schedules.

Businesswoman Rokhsana Rahman Rukasi, who was going to pick her daughter from her school, got drenched in rain.

"Unfortunately my car was stuck in the middle of the road in rain water. If we had special arrangements for drainage system then such worst situation would not have been there," she said.

Gunijan Aadi Tripura, a student of Dhaka's leading Notre Dame College, said the situation caused by rain water is extremely bad.

"I have a quiz test. Don't know whether the test will be held in such situation. If such situation persists then we will suffer setback in our studies," he said.

Heavy rain has also taken its toll on Md. Rajib, a three wheeler driver, whose three-wheeler became stuck due to heavy rain.

"Now we are trapped in water with passengers. Suffering with passengers as we got stuck on the road after engine went out of order," he said.

The country's meteorological office said it recorded 57 mm of rainfall from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

Due to active monsoon, heavy (44-88 mm) to very heavy (89 mm or more) rainfall is likely to occur at places over Dhaka and elsewhere in the country during next 24 hours, it said in a statement.

Landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division, it added.

Landslide-related casualties continued unabated in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong hill region, with fresh reports of injuries and deaths on Tuesday.

Five more people were killed in rain-triggered fresh landslides and wall collapse in southeastern Bangladesh.

At least 153 people were reported to have been killed and hundreds of others injured in the landslides that devastated places in five districts in Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeastern Bangladesh on June 11.

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