Fire Service provides lifeboats to help people commute in waterlogged Shantinagar

Fire Service and Civil Defence apparently launched a boat service in Dhaka's Shantinagar on Thursday to help people cross the areas that went under knee-deep water after a spell of heavy rain.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 August 2017, 02:52 PM
Updated : 3 August 2017, 04:52 PM

In a rare scene, firemen transported passengers on several lifeboats across the waterlogged road in the afternoon.

The initiative was aimed at helping the Shantinagar residents suffering from waterlogging, Fire Service Director General Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan told bdnews24.com.

Such services will also be introduced in the areas that are suffering from severe waterlogging this rainy season, he said.

Many areas in the capital city including Shantinagar had gone underwater after heavy showers Thursday afternoon.

"Following the home ministry's directive, we have taken this lifeboat service on the submerged roads to allay the sufferings of children, women, elders, students and people with disabilities," Khan said.

Apart from the lifeboat service, Fire Service's control room official Enayet Hossain told bdnews24.com, several teams were also working to reduce the sufferings of the commuters and residents at Arambagh, Mirpur and Shantinagar.

Ten to 15 lifeboats will help the commuters in crossing waterlogged areas until further notice in the areas where the problem is most severe, according to Khan.

He also added that it was not yet possible for them to provide the facility to every area in the city.

He blamed the city's drainage system for the waterlogged situation, which during this rainy season has become a regular but dreadful scene for the residents every time it rains.

"Our (the city) drainage system is very bad, but it is also not possible to amend that in a day."

In July, at the beginning of the monsoon, the amount of rainfall in Dhaka and the other parts of the country was more than usual as the month experienced heavy showers most of the time.

The heavy rains had led to deadly landslides in several districts including the Chittagong Hill Tracts, severe waterlogging in Dhaka and Chittagong cities, and floods in large swathes of areas in 13 districts.

The Met office forecast more rains for the whole of August along with the possibility of floods in parts of the country.

It also said rain may occur in the capital and other districts on Friday.