Heavy rain slows Ctg port operations: official

Chattogram has been experiencing heavy downpour since yesterday due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, with 198.5 mm recorded in the past 24 hours as of this noon.

Despite the intense rainfall, major waterlogging was largely avoided in key areas of the city, thanks to improved pre-monsoon drainage efforts, according to city officials.

At the coast, rough weather pushed two small vessels, one carrying LPG, aground near Patenga.

Lightering -- offloading goods from large vessels to smaller ones -- at the outer anchorage has been suspended, raising concerns of vessel congestion.

Al Amin, revenue officer at Chattogram Customs House, said port operations have slowed significantly.

"Goods awaiting inspection are vulnerable to rain damage, but inspections are not being carried out in this weather. Only previously examined and assessed cargo is being released. Overall activity has dropped by around 40 to 45 percent compared to normal times," he told The Daily Star.

Flood-prone neighbourhoods like DC Road, Bakalia, Muradpur, and Chawk Bazar saw little to no flooding, unlike previous years.

"We prepared early by dredging canals and clearing drains. So far, the usual trouble spots have remained dry," said Commander Ikhtiar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, chief cleaning officer of the Chattogram City Corporation.

However, some low-lying zones, such as Badurtala and parts of Bahaddarhat, experienced temporary waterlogging, which began receding late this morning.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has kept Local Cautionary Signal No 3 in effect for all maritime ports and forecasts continued rainfall for the next two to three days.

While early preparedness appears to have spared the city from widespread flooding, officials remain on high alert as inclement weather persists.