Barisal Port authorities restricted plying of ML (motor launch) types of water transports less than 65-feet in length in 29 river routes
from Barisal River Port until further order from 9:00 am Wednesday.The city-sky remained cloudy with light drizzle to mid-ranged raining and gusty wind with 20–30 Km per hour, local Met Department said.
Low- lying areas and banks of river, canal, ponds over flooded due to raining and tidal flow drove by stormy wind.
Most of the people became bound to confine themselves inside the room and students, office employees suffered much to attend and return from educational institution, offices as transports became scarce on city roads demanding higher-fare from the passengers.
Make shift shops, hawker markets remained close in most of the parts of the day and kitchen markets facing very few customers as people not coming out from home without emergency needs.
The restriction against plying small water transport was imposed after weather department asked inland river-port authorities to hoist
cautionary weather signal no. 2 from early Wednesday following the heavy downpour with gusty wind in Barisal Port and adjoining areas, said Abul Bashar Mazumdar, deputy director, traffic and marine safety department of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authourity Barisal office.
Md. Shahidullah, Barisal Port officer, explained that operators of triple deck Barisal-Dhaka bound launches asked to ply cautiously due
to adverse weather and rough river condition in the region.
Fishing boats in the sea also asked to be come close near the coast and safe shelters.
Road transport operators and passengers said road communications with Kuakata tourist zone often disrupted as ferry gangways went under water and road transports plying with high risks on most of the parts of Barisal-Faridpur route on Barisal-Dhaka Highway due to bad conditions of connecting roads and downpour.
Shohidul Alam, Deputy Commissioner , Barisal, said upazila nirbahi officers, agriculture, disaster and relief management departments
asked to monitor the situation round the clock.
Arrival of monsoon air flow and cloud causing heavy downpours in the region and made conditions of river estuaries and sea becoming rough with high waves and strong tides and gusty winds, said Prodip Kumar, officer of Kalapara Weather Radar Station.
Monsoon rains hamper BCC election campaign
Often monsoon raining and stormy weather with gusty wind hampering election propagations of the BCC Election.
Almost all the candidates alleged that schedule for election in rainy monsoon season was not appropriate for our country.
Mayor and reserved female councilor candidates added that general councilor candidates have to cover limited areas within their ward.
But the reserved female seat candidates have to cover 3 wards and mayor candidates have to cover 30 wards of the city for election
propagation and mass communication with the voters amid adverse weather situation.
We are facing problems in election campaign not for only the insufficient 3-week time for propagation, but also the adverse weather
condition, restrictions against procession, meetings, time-limitations for propagation thorough loudspeakers etc. imposed by election
commission, they alleged.
(Barisal Correspondent)
