Feature

My favourite season?

Zannatul Lamea

BACK in schooldays, when my teacher would give me this topic to write an essay or a paragraph, without any second thought, I would start scribbling on the copy and continue writing till my imagination ended. All through my childhood, my most favorite season had been the season of poetry- rainy season. I remember this was my favorite topic. I would write about the sudden gush of chilly wind, I would write about the ivory sky, I would write about the melody of raindrops, I would write about dancing in the rain - I would write about it all. I loved rain, yes of course I still do; I love the rain when it falls from the sky, not when it falls on top of Dhaka city. The never ending list of problems associated with rainfall in Dhaka city has changed my love for rain. I find this fact truly baffling, the fact that corruption at our country has managed even to change our love for nature.

Rain in Dhaka city makes city life truly miserable. Even if it rains only for an hour or so, the roads get all flooded. All the drains get clogged up with level of dirty polluted water rising, further rain gathers more garbage in the clogged water and voila! City dwellers have their day spoilt. If you live in a very posh area then you are saved (or are you?) , if you by chance live in an area which has a dustbin nearby- you are in deep trouble. The rain water will bring banquets of garbage at your doorstep and leave you bewildered. The misery during rainfall knows no bounds. Doesn't matter if you have final exam, doesn't matter if you have an urgent meeting, doesn't matter if you immediately need to meet someone, doesn't matter how important your work is - you can't reach your destination on time, no matter what. I seriously don't understand this directly proportional relationship of rain with traffic jam. The moment it rains, the very moment all vehicles seem to gather at one place and totally stop moving! Just like that!

Not to mention the price hikes of fares. The moment it starts raining, all CNG drivers hang their nose high and would charge you like anything for even a small distance. And if you are a bus passenger, then your problems will be similar to that of seven degree torture, well almost. All the buses seem to disappear the moment it starts raining, you have to stand for hours in a line, and then literally fight with the enormous crowd of passengers to get half your feet inside bus. And when ultimately you do so be ready to get yourself sandwiched between the huge crowd of passengers on the bus. To add to your trouble, you might as well find your wallet or mobile vanish in the meantime.

It is truly disgusting. For all of you who have been to Banani, know what I am talking about. Even if it rains for 15 min, the road will get all clogged up with at least ankle-deep water. And when it rains cats and dogs? Well then a quite interesting scenario can be observed. All students are seen wading through water, their trousers or salwars folded upto knee. This is so embarrassing! First of all the muddy water, second of all the dirt coming with it. I have also seen my classmates wade through this dirty water, when they were all dressed up for a business presentation. There is simply no way out, there is not one entry where water level doesn't rise. And no one takes any measures! Sometimes bits of bricks are placed in a row for crossing, which itself is quite risky. The roads remain slippery with water, stepping on the bricks with faltering steps might result in bigger disaster.

I wonder is it so difficult? Can't at least a flat piece of wood be used as a bridge to cross the roads while the water level rises subsequently high enough? Or is it that nobody cares? When would anyone? After one of us breaks a leg or has a fatal accident? Can't the city corporation or the respective authorities give us minimal service? Right to safety is our basic need; any organisation failing to provide so should not exist in the first place.