Persistent Waterlogging Paralyzes Dhaka Following Heavy Rainfall
Photo Collected
Persistent heavy rainfall that began Saturday night left large swaths of Dhaka submerged by Monday afternoon, paralyzing traffic and disrupting daily life across both the city’s north and south corporations. Despite the initial downpour easing, stagnant water remained on major thoroughfares for over 33 hours, forcing residents to wade through knee-deep water and causing widespread logistical chaos.
In the Mirpur area, a 250-meter stretch of Begum Rokeya Sarani between Al-Helal Hospital and the Hatil furniture showroom remained largely under water as of Monday afternoon. Pedestrians were forced to navigate the flooded streets with shoes in hand, while slow-moving vehicles created significant traffic congestion. Motiur Rahman, an executive engineer for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), explained that the drainage infrastructure in Kazipara is currently overwhelmed. To mitigate flooding at the Mirpur-10 roundabout, local drainage outlets were redirected, inadvertently slowing the discharge rate in neighboring sectors.
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The crisis extended well beyond Mirpur, affecting key locations including Sobhanbag, Shukrabad, Khilkhet, and Kalshi. Similar conditions persisted under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). Areas surrounding the New Market complex, Lalbagh’s Orphanage Road, Motijheel, and the Education Board office in Bakshibazar were inundated, forcing businesses to close and damaging storefronts. In Bakshibazar, vehicles stalled and a transport van capsized while attempting to traverse the flooded streets, further complicating the morning commute for students and office workers.
Residents expressed frustration over the recurring nature of the problem. Many noted that even after road elevations, heavy rains regularly result in water intrusion into the ground floors of homes and businesses. Shopkeepers in the New Market area reported substantial losses, as waves generated by passing vehicles pushed polluted water into their stores.
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City officials have attributed the severity of the flooding to rainfall exceeding the existing drainage capacity. Mohammad Safiullah Siddique Bhuiyan, a supervising engineer for the DSCC, stated that the city’s three primary pumping stations are designed to handle 25 to 30 millimeters of rainfall. However, the recent volume significantly surpassed that threshold, leading to prolonged water retention. He noted that additional pumping stations are necessary to manage such weather events effectively.
As the city struggled with the aftermath, DNCC Administrator Md. Shafiullah Khan inspected affected sites on Monday. He emphasized that the underlying cause of the persistent drainage failure is the encroachment of urban canals. According to the administrator, long-term relief for Dhaka’s residents will remain elusive until these vital waterways are fully recovered and cleared of illegal occupations.
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