The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Incessant monsoon rain coupled with storm-carrying high tides in the Bay put one thirds of the port city dwellers water marooned on Tuesday.

Commencing yesterday afternoon the moderate to heavy downpour did not only disrupt normal life in the port city but also doubled the miseries of the common people.

Local weather office recorded 210.2 millimeters of rainfall in and around the port city over the last 24 hours ended at 6:00 p.m. today. Meteorologists predicted similar wet weather for another couple of days. Maritime port in Chittagong, Cox's Bazaar and Mongla are still under local cautionary signal number 3. The rainwater and downward rush from the hills and uplands inundated many parts of the city including the lowlands. Some of the city's major roads went under waist to chest level water dislocating vehicular traffic until 12:00 in the afternoon.

There were two incidents of wall collapse at Lalkhan Bazaar and Sirson Road. No casualty was reported out of the incidents.

Recently built storm swears in the city also found inefficient against the nonstop heavy downpour. Experts believed that surge from the bay had pushed the draining rainwater backward inundating relatively high lands. Though the clogged water receded a little during the ebb tide, residents of the relatively low-lying areas did not get rid of the confinement till the time of dispatching this report. Dozens of ground-floor schools, offices and commercial establishments at Agrabad commercial area, Khatunganj, Baddarhat, Muradpur Chawak Bazaar suffered inundation. Warehouses of essentials and food grains also went under water at places.

Families, markets and business houses in the city were seen working hard to recover from the sudden flooding. Household articles, shopping goods, office files, important documents and electronic devices mostly from the ground floor were seen removed.

According to a leader of the Motor Workshop Owner's Association here in the port city more than five thousand light motor vehicles suffered total inundation during the flooding.