Persistent Downpours Trigger Severe Waterlogging and Gridlock across Chittagong

Continuous torrential rainfall over the past three days has left vast swathes of Chittagong port city severely waterlogged, causing immense suffering to residents and disrupting vehicular movement on major thoroughfares. Large areas have been submerged under ankle- to knee-deep water, paralysing daily life and forcing several educational institutions to declare an unscheduled holiday.

According to the Patenga Meteorological Office in Chittagong, the city recorded a staggering 282.8 millimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to 6:00 am on Monday. Meteorologists classify any rainfall exceeding 88 millimetres within a 24-hour period as “heavy to very heavy rainfall,” highlighting the intensity of the current deluge which culminated in an uninterrupted downpour from Tuesday dawn into the morning hours.

Widespread Inundation and Disruption

The flooding has severely impacted key commercial and residential hubs. Substantial waterlogging has been reported in the commercial district of Agrabad, as well as in Katalganj, Kapasgola, Faridar Para, Chandgaon, Chawkbazar’s Telipatti Lane, Halishahar (including K, O, and L blocks), Sonali Residential Area, Bashundhara Residential Area, Rampur, and Anandipur.

In areas such as Agrabad and Katalganj, stagnant water reached knee height, making commutes treacherous. On Ishan Mahajan Road in North Kattali, an uprooted tree blocked the street entirely, bringing vehicular movement to a complete standstill.

Local residents and commuters have expressed deep frustration over the persistent infrastructure failures. Jobaer Hossain, a corporate professional working in Agrabad, noted that navigating through knee-deep water to reach his office on Tuesday morning was an arduous ordeal. Similarly, Iftekhar Uddin, a resident of Faridar Para, lamented that submerged roads had effectively trapped people indoors during the critical morning rush hour.

Tidal Impact and Official Response

Addressing the situation, Pranab Kumar Sharma, the Deputy Chief Waste Management Officer of the Chittagong City Corporation, acknowledged the widespread inundation but defended the civic body’s drainage maintenance. He explained that a high tide coinciding with Monday morning’s heavy downpour exacerbated the flooding in vulnerable zones. He maintained that because canals and primary drains had been cleared beforehand, the accumulated rainwater was receding relatively quickly once the tide turned. Notably, notorious flooding hotspots such as Muradpur, Bahaddarhat, and the No. 2 Gate area managed to escape significant waterlogging during this spell.

Public Outcry over Escalating Project Costs

The recurring crisis has once again cast a spotlight on the city’s infrastructure management. Currently, four government agencies—the Chittagong City Corporation, the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), and the Bangladesh Water Development Board—are concurrently implementing four major mega-projects aimed at mitigating the city’s chronic waterlogging.

Despite these initiatives being underway for the past eight to ten years, with a cumulative expenditure reaching a staggering 10,408 crore BDT as of March, a permanent solution remains elusive.

Frustration among urban planners and citizens continues to mount, particularly as the city previously witnessed its worst logging instance of the year on 28 April, proving that despite billions in investment, Chittagong remains highly susceptible to monsoon vulnerabilities.