A torrential downpour since Thursday in the Rajshahi city has submerged the lower portion of the Rajshahi city, causing water stagnation and suffering to the city people.
City dwellers stayed inside their households till Sunday midday due to incessant rain, with poor drainage system further aggravating the situation.
The city people have said that they could not go for Eid shopping after Ramadan had begun because of the rainfall and poor number of public vehicles on city streets.
As a result of the rain from Thursday night, a good portion of the city became waterlogged, houses were inundated and road communication was snapped.
People living in suburbs and vegetable traders are suffering the worst as they cannot reach city markets to buy or sell products.
Some of the roads that link suburbs to the city have gone under water and some roads have become muddy.
The badly affected areas are Rajshahi Court area, Bhulanpur, Terakhadia, Kairdara, Achintala, Seroil Colony, Choto Bangram, Boro Bangram, Sultanganj, Central Jail area and Sepaipara.
People of these areas face serious trouble as they have to wade through knee-high water on roads.
Sohag Ahmed, a resident of Terakhadia area, has told New Age that after the rainfall the roads in front of the divisional stadium became waterlogged.
'A number of CNG-run auto-rickshaws have gone out of order on the road, triggering sudden traffic congestion,' he added.
Sultanaganj resident Waliur Rahman Babu said rainwater collected on all roads of his area after the rain stated Thursday night.
Mahmuda Khatun, a housewife of the Court area, said about two thirds of all roads in the area went under water and pedestrians, particularly women and children, were facing serious difficulties.
Meanwhile, transports have come to a standstill for hours and several hundred vehicles fell stranded on both sides of Sheheb Bazar Zero point as water submerged the potholed road stretch Sunday afternoon.
Traffic police brought the traffic movement under control after a few hours.
Admitting the allegation of poor drainage system, Sariful Islam Babu, Rajshahi panel mayor, told New Age that the RCC staff were on duty to develop the drainage system at Saheb Bazar and the RCC would gradually strengthen its drainage for smooth flow of water.
Source : New Age
