Heavy rain inundates warehouses at Benapole port

* Knee-deep water inundates warehouses after continuous rain 
* Traders blame poor drainage
BENAPOLE, JASHORE, July 12: Continuous rainfall has caused severe water-logging at Benapole Land Port, leaving imported goods worth crores of taka under knee-deep water and raising concerns among importers over mounting losses.

The flooding has affected five warehouses near Gate No. 3 of the country's largest land port, where various imported goods have been submerged following two days of incessant rain.

Port authorities said efforts were underway to drain the accumulated water using power pumps, while traders blamed the recurring problem on inadequate drainage infrastructure.

Rain has continued across the Jashore region since Thursday night, causing water to accumulate in several warehouses and yards inside the port.

Port users alleged that despite the construction of new sheds and other facilities over the years, the drainage system remains inadequate, resulting in frequent water-logging during heavy rainfall.

They said imported goods worth hundreds of crores of taka become vulnerable whenever the port is flooded and claimed that repeated appeals for a permanent solution had yielded little progress.

Abdul Alim, a trader at the port, said several warehouses had been inundated, damaging imported goods worth lakhs of taka.

"Port charges continue to increase every year, but there has been little improvement in drainage or other essential infrastructure," he said, adding that most facilities had been developed without long-term planning.

Aminul Haque Anu, Vice-President of the Benapole Importers and Exporters Association, said poor planning and the absence of an effective drainage system were responsible for the recurring water-logging.

He said businesses bear the losses when goods are damaged by floodwater, alleging that repeated complaints to the port authorities had not resulted in effective action.

Benapole Land Port Director Shamim Hossain acknowledged that goods stored in several warehouses had been affected by the flooding.

He said power pumps were being used to remove the water, although continuous rainfall had slowed the operation.

The port authority is working on a permanent solution to the drainage problem, he added, expressing hope that the situation would improve once the rain stops.