90 percent of the tourist city of Cox’s Bazar has been submerged due to continuous 12-hour heavy rains.
The goods of many businesses have been damaged due to water entering. Many people have suffered greatly as hundreds of houses have been submerged in water.
It has been seen on the surface that waterlogging occurs in most areas including Kalatali, Bazarghata, Tekpara, Bus Terminal, Kalurdokan, Buddhmandir road of the tourist zone of Cox’s Bazar city. This is causing traffic disruption in the city. People are suffering as a result.
Local public representatives and residents said that the rain started from 9 am on Thursday but the heavy rain started from 12:30 pm. After that, heavy rain for 12 hours till 12:30 pm stopped the work life of eight lakh people of the entire city. No one has seen such heavy rainfall in the last 50 years.
Helal Uddin, President of Cox’s Bazar Citizen Forum, said that he had never seen such heavy rain in his life. Rain has caused waterlogging in almost 90 percent of the tourist town. As a result, people have suffered greatly.
Babul Barua, a resident of Pahartali Baiilla neighborhood of the city, said that due to continuous rains, three roads of Pahartali have sunk and water has entered hundreds of houses and five educational institutions. As a result, women and children are suffering.
Akhtar Kamal, councilor of ward number 1 of the municipality, said that several hundred houses of ward number 1, Samitipara, Kutubdiapara, Fadnardale, Mostaikapara, Bandarpara, North Nuniachha have been submerged in rain water. As a result, thousands of people are facing shortage of food and drinking water as cooking is stopped.
Abul Kashem Sikder, President of Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Motel, Guest House Owners Association, said that waterlogging occurs in the hotel-motel zone only when it rains heavily. Then the tourists suffered a lot. There is a slowdown in business. Due to the cutting of the hill, the rain water has flowed down and filled the water channel. As a result water cannot be drained quickly causing waterlogging. Last July too, heavy rains led to waterlogging across the city.
Additional District Magistrate Ataul Gani Osmani said that hundreds of villages of Cox’s Bazar are submerged in water due to continuous rain. The district administration is working to evacuate those who are living at risk at the foot of the hill.
Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology informed that under the influence of active monsoon winds, deep circulating clouds have formed in the northern Bay of Bengal and the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Due to its effect, gale force winds may blow in the coastal areas and seaports of Bangladesh. Local warning signal number 3 has been asked to be displayed at four sea ports including Cox’s Bazar.
Abdul Hannan, assistant meteorologist of Cox’s Bazar Meteorological Office, said, Cox’s Bazar Meteorological Office has reported that 501 mm of rainfall has been recorded from Thursday 3 pm to Friday 3 pm, which is the highest rainfall record in the current season.
On the other hand, the risk of landslides has increased due to heavy rains. Meanwhile, 6 people from two families died in separate incidents of landslides in South Dikkul of Cox’s Bazar Sadar and Hakimpara Camp No. 14 in Ukhia on Friday morning.