Almost all areas of Rangpur city went under the knee to waist-deep water due to incessant rainfall in Rangpur division on Sunday.
All the major city streets, roads, alleys and even houses have been inundated in rain water. More than one lakh people of the city have been trapped inside their houses due to entering of water in their houses.
Meteorological Office sources in Rangpur informed, from 9:30 PM on Saturday to 9:30 AM on Sunday there was 433 millimeters of rainfall which has surpassed the record of past 100-year. The department predicts such rainfall and the inclement weather to continue for next one or two more days.
Due to unprecedented torrential rain, the canals known as Shyama Sundari and KD Canal for extracting water from the city, have also been overflooded. The drainage system of the city has been completely collapsed. City people opined, there was no such waterlogging in the city even during the unprecedented flood of 1988.
Fire Service personnel, however, were busy to rescue the water logged residents from various areas of the city.
According to sources, the low lying roads and areas including the Shapla Chattar, Haji Para, Chamra Patty, Koronjairoad, Sen para, Adarsho Para, Baburkha, Kamarpara, Jumma para, Keranipara, Alamnagar, Hanumantola, Musnhipara, Mulatola, Amtola, Ganseh pur, Babupara, Lalbagh, KDC road, Bus Terminal, Shal bon. Mistripara, Kamal Kachna, Mahiganj, Kalabari, Darshona, Modern road, Medical Pakara matha, Jolkor, New Jumma para and Khotkhotia have been inundated under 3-4 feet of water.
Thousands of families of those low lying areas have taken shelter to nearby raised houses. The suffering of those people knew no bounds because they are failing to cook food and use toilets. Most of the restaurants of the city remained closed and underwater, they are also failing to purchase food from there. The uninterrupted rainfall has also disrupted electricity supply of many areas of the city. People to visit places for emergency purposes were also failing to manage a vehicle.
Due to excessive rainfall, the flood has also engulfed the low lying areas beside the river Teesta, Karotoa, Ghaghat and Jamuneswari rivers. There has been massive damage to crops, vegetables in flood and fish from ponds have been released in floodwater.
Mustafizur Rahman, Assistant Meteorologist of Rangpur informed, the rainfall may continue for next one or two-day and most of city areas would go underwater if rainfall continues for long.