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Misery rains down on city slums

Pinaki Roy
It was 2:30 am Tuesday. An unbroken spell of rain was creating a rhythm on the corrugated tin roof of their room. The night would have been otherwise good for deep sleep. But the poor couple--Md Farhad and Jamila aiong with their three children** were sitting on their small cot with water rolling into the room.
Rain started at about 10:00pm. Jamila brought their four hens inside the room as the small yard was already under knee-deep water.
Five members of the family live in the room -- 10 feet by 10 feet or so. The couple along with their one-year old daughter Beauty used to sleep on the floor, and their two sons--Iinran and Raihan- on the cot. Normally rainwater does not enter the room but the situation was quite different this time.
Jamila bundled their beddings. put those on one side of their cot and anxiously waited for the water to recede.
Several hundred stranded Pakistanis are staying at this camp in Mirpur Secnon-11. near the journalists colony. It is one of the densely populated slums in thecapital.
Ihe plight of all those living at tiie camp was similar to that of the family of Farhad and Jamila. Many were shouting to draw others' attention in efforts to find a way out. and children were crying, said Farhad describing the situation to this correspondent yesterday.
'It seemed to be keyamat' (doomsday). I never saw such rains in my life." he said.
"At one stage, we found all our utensils and other household goods floating in rainwater inside our room. I told my wife we have to move from here. And I tned to see what others were doing." Farhad recalled.
It was almost waist-deep water on the adjacent road and garbage was afloat there There is a four-storey old building inside the camp but it was already over crowded. Many people already took shelter there, he said.
As the situation continued to worsen. Farhad crossed the road and started banging the door at a flat in the journalists colony. This is the only place nearby where they could seek shelter. Jewel Mia. Shamsurand some others also joined him.
But the ground floor of that building was also submerged. So. they had to stay on the stairs of the building, said Farhad. “We spent the whole night standing there."
Most of the slum dwellers in Mripur, Pallabi. Rupnagar and other areas of the city faced the samesituation.
People living in slums beside Rupnagar canal were among the worst sufferers. Rainwater from Rupnagar and Pallabi flows out through this canal. So. their shanties went under water much before those in other slums.
The slum dwellers have taken refuge in different houses, schools and colleges in Mirpur area.
“We could not take out anything. All our clothes, utensils and food are under water now," said a rickshaw puller staying at a college in Rupnagar. Many others have also shifted to this college.
Local people collected money and bought bitten rice for them yesterday afternoon, which was their first meal in the day.