Dhaka: Roads were flooded. Traffic tailback was everywhere. Commuters were wading through rainwater. School-going children were falling out of rickshaws. These were the chaotic scenes people saw in the capital on Wednesday after hours of rain.

Triggered by active monsoon, rains lashed the city sending many parts of the capital reeling under water, throwing the normal life out of gear and exposing the poor drainage system of the city again.

The downpour started coming down on Tuesday night and it continued till Wednesday noon.

The Met office recorded 56 mm of rainfall in six hours from 6 am to 12 noon while 86 mm in the last 36 hours till noon, said Shaheenul Islam, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

Many parts of the city, including Rokeya Sarani, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Senpara Parbata, Merul Badda, Gulshan, Bijoy Sarani, Mouchak, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Arambagh, Motijheel, Sukrabad, Kalabagan, Gulistan, Manik Mia Avenue and Old Dhaka were inundated by the rainwater.

Even the country's administrative hub, the Secretariat, went under knee-deep water. The situation turned so worse that firefighters were called in to drain out the water.

Besides, the rainwater led to the suspension of the operation of many lifts at the Secretariat.

Traffic on a carriageway of Mouchak to Malibagh rail crossing remained suspended as the road went fully under water, forcing commuters to pass the portion on foot through water.

As many thoroughfares went under water, city dwellers, especially office-goers and students, suffered in gridlocks across the city.

Many were seen wading through knee-deep water to reach their destinations due to the traffic jams and unavailability of rickshaws and other modes of transport.

Meanwhile, many vehicles, especially CNG-run auto-rickshaws, got stuck in streets as those went out of order after water entered their engines.

Low-income people, especially the day-labourers, suffered most as they could not venture outside for work amid rains.

Besides, rickshaw-pullers and CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers were seen charging excessive fare from passengers taking advantage of the inclement weather.

Manzur Murshed, a resident of Badda, said the vehicular movement came to a standstill in the east carriageway of Mouchak-Kuril road from Merul to Malibagh rail crossing. "I boarded a bus in Merul to go to Mouchak. However, I got down from it after 10 minutes as it got stuck at the starting point, and started moving on foot."

On his way to the destination, he saw traffic snarl-up throughout the carriageway, Manzur said, adding that he had to wade through water even through the footpath from the mouth of flyover at Chowdhurypara to Mouchak.

Wahida Zaman, a Dhaka University student and resident of Malibagh, said she boarded a university bus for her destination opposite to Mouchak Market. She got down from it in front of Ramna Model Police Station and took a rickshaw for Mouchak.

As the rickshaw reached Mouchak Market, its driver declined to go to the other side of the road, citing the problem of water-stagnation. Later, she took another rickshaw for crossing the waterlogged road and the driver charged her Tk 15 for it. "It took me one hour to reach my destination."

Finding no rickshaw, Ashiqur Rahman took a rickshaw van from Abudhar Ghifari College at Malibagh to cross the waterlogged road for Mouchak. He got down from the van in front of Maruf Market and managed a rickshaw after repeated requests to reach his office some 300 yards away.

Tariq Al Banna said it took him three and half hours to travel to Asad Gate from Kalyanpur by a bus. He blamed scanty drainage system of the city for the sufferings.

As many areas of the city are inundated by rainwater due to poor storm drainage system, green activists think well-thought-out plans, government's strong political commitment, enforcement of law and engagement of army can help reclaim the capital's 43 lost canals and many other wetlands to restore its natural drainage network.

Talking to UNB recently, noted environment experts Dr Atiq Rahman, chief executive of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association (Bela) Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Poribesh Bachao Andolan (Poba) chairman Abu Naser Khan, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) general secretary MA Matin and its joint secretary and architect Iqbal Habib also said the two Dhaka mayors, as the elected representatives of the city dwellers, should play the lead role in reclaiming the grabbed canals and thus get rid of waterlogging.

They also said a social movement against the grabbers of canals, water bodies and rivers is also necessary to protect the city and its environment.

"First, we need to make a proper map of the city canals and fix their exact numbers through a government gazette. Then, we'll have to identify the occupied parts of the canals and the encroachers to take action," said Dr Atiq Rahman.

Meanwhile, the intensity of rainfall across the country is likely to ease from today (Wednesday), said Shaheenul.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions during the next 24 hours commencing at 10 am today due to active monsoon, he said.

Following the rainfall, landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division, the bulletin added.

Meanwhile, the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to lower signal, said a Met office special bulletin on Wednesday.