59 mm downpour floods low-lying areas in Ctg

Several low-lying areas in Chattogram city experienced waterlogging on Friday night following a few hours of rainfall, causing traffic congestion and suffering for city dwellers.

According to the Chattogram Ambagan Met Office, the city recorded 59 mm of rainfall between 9:00 pm and 12:00 am.

The downpour submerged roads in areas such as GEC, Chawkbazar, and Katalganj, leaving knee-deep water in some parts and halting traffic movement for hours.

Many residents, including families out to enjoy the weekend, were caught off guard by the sudden inundation.

Jewel Chowdhury, a government employee who was out with his family, told The Daily Star that he was stuck in traffic for nearly an hour near GEC. "Water had risen on the roads, leading to traffic jam that stretched over a kilometre,"he said.

The situation was further worsened by a shortage of vehicles, prompting many CNG-run auto-rickshaw and rickshaw drivers to charge exorbitant fares.

Several commuters alleged that transport operators took advantage of the crisis by overcharging passengers.

Abu Mohsin, senior observer at the Meteorological Office, said the rainfall is likely to continue for the next few days due to the active monsoon.