Several hours of rainfall on Monday caused water logging and severe tailback in many parts of the capital giving a wakeup alarm of miseries for city dwellers during monsoon. Many roads including Bangabandhu Avenue, Mirpur Road, Bijoy Sarani, Nayapaltan were inundated in just three hours of showers prior to the full advent of the rainy season. The weather office recorded 79 millimetres of rainfall in the capital from morning till 3:00pm on Sunday with most of the downpour, about 74 mm, occurring between 12:00pm and 3:00pm. Meanwhile, the weather office forecast cloudy weather across the country and medium to heavy rainfall with thundershowers to continue at many places during the next two or three days. For the last few years water logging has become a major problem in many parts the city initiating city planners to take a number of initiative like recovering natural drainage canals from land grabbers. Most of the roads and areas in Gandaria, Motijheel, Dilkusha, Nayapaltan, Fakirapool, Kakrail, Shantinagar, New Baily Road, Siddeshwari, New Circular Road, Malibagh, Rajarbagh, Basabo, Maghbazar, Madartek, Bijoy Sarani, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, Shwerapara, low-lying areas of eastern fringe, some parts of Mohammadpur and different parts of the old town go under water during the downpour. Khalilullah Sardar, an enterprise owner, said vehicles got stuck on the inundated roads forcing the owners to take the vehicles to workshops, a common scene during the rainy season. An urban study expert, Professor Nazrul Islam said there were a number of reasons for the water logging in Dhaka. A total of the 43 canals in the city have been grabbed and filled with earth and fast decreasing of open spaces were some of the major reasons of water logging in the capital. Nazrul Islam, also chairman of the University Grants Commission, said Box culverts and natural drainage system of the city that remained clogged for lack of proper maintenance were also the causes of floods and water logging. According to Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority officials, encroachment on natural water reservoirs like Katasur Khal (canal), Ramchandpur Khal, Segunbagicha Khal, Jirani Khal, Shahjahanpur Khal, Mohakhali Khal, Debdholai Khal, Kolyanpur Khal, Begunbari Khal, Ibrahimpur Khal and Mukdakhal is the major reason of water logging in different areas of the capital city. Sources at the Dhaka WASA said eviction drive at the Hatirjheel-Begunbari khal areas for the Hatirjheel-Begunbari Integrated Development Project has begun and the government, in February began construction of a road along Hatirjheel under a Tk 1473.59 crore development project.