Life in the Mirpur, Kazipara, and Shewrapara areas of the capital has been severely disrupted following several hours of heavy rainfall, which left streets submerged and caused extensive traffic congestion.
The waterlogging, which has become a recurring issue, is attributed by locals to unplanned urbanisation, an inadequate drainage system, and a lack of regular maintenance of the drains.
The residents of Kazipara and Shewrapara have been among the worst affected. Rehana Begum, a resident of Kazipara, described the daily struggle of taking her seven-year-old son, Jinius, to school.
“Even a small amount of rain makes it impossible to walk through our alley,” she said. “It is very difficult to get him to school. We have to wait a long time for a rickshaw, but many drivers refuse to enter the lane due to the water. Sometimes the water remains for several days.”
The situation is equally dire for local business owners. Irfan Hasan, who runs a vegetable shop in a Kazipara lane, reported that rainwater frequently enters his shop, damaging his produce.
“As you can see, this is the state of the shop whenever it rains. Sometimes the water level rises even higher, making it impossible to sit here, let alone move around,” Hasan stated, noting that he faces continuous financial losses during the rainy season.
Traffic paralysis Following the downpour, significant water accumulation was observed under the Kazipara Metro Rail station and along the stretch from Shewrapara to the Mirpur-10 roundabout.
This resulted in traffic slowing to a crawl, causing immense suffering for office-goers, students, and general passengers.
According to local reports, the waterlogging often leads to kilometre-long traffic jams stretching from Kazipara to Mirpur-10. A shortage of public transport and rickshaws has forced many commuters to walk through the water to reach their destinations.
Despite the annual repetition of these grievances, residents claim that no effective or permanent measures have been implemented by the authorities.
They are now calling for an immediate upgrade of the drainage system, the regular cleaning of canals and drains, and the implementation of a long-term plan to mitigate the waterlogging crisis.
