PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 18 -- Heavy rain lashed Prayagraj from the early hours of Monday, causing widespread waterlogging across the city and creating flood-like conditions in several low-lying areas. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the district recorded 73.4 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours. The situation worsened after heavy showers late Sunday night, particularly in Kareli, where water levels reportedly rose to four feet in residential colonies and streets. Cars and motorcycles were submerged, while water entered homes and flooded ground floors, forcing many residents to move to upper floors. Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams deployed boats to rescue stranded residents and move them to safer locations. Despite the disruption, the rainfall brought relief from the humid weather, with temperatures dropping by nearly 5 degrees Celsius. Major roads and intersections in Civil Lines, George Town, Johnstoganj, New Bus Stand, Govindpur and the area opposite CMP College remained waterlogged. The situation badly affected traffic and daily life. In George Town, roads resembled ponds after hours of rain. Residents blamed inadequate cleaning of sewer lines and poor maintenance of the drainage system for the persistent waterlogging. Similar conditions were reported at the Vidya Vahini Bus Stand in Civil Lines, where stagnant water remained for hours because of inadequate drainage. In Kareli, near Jasir Ki Puliya, police and NDRF teams responded after reports that a mosque had collapsed following heavy rain. Authorities found that a wall of the mosque had developed cracks, but the structure remained intact. Rescue teams, accompanied by the Atarsuiya ACP, evacuated residents trapped inside their homes. Meanwhile, residents of Mundera staged a protest over severe waterlogging in the area. Flood-like conditions emerged after overnight rain, with dirty water entering homes and rising above knee level in many areas. The protesters stood in knee-deep water and accused elected representatives of neglecting drainage maintenance and failing to clean sewer lines before the monsoon. Residents said household belongings, bedding, food supplies and other essential goods were extensively damaged. Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP government over Prayagraj's drainage infrastructure. Sharing a video of waterlogged roads in George Town on social media platform X, he questioned the effectiveness of development works carried out in Prayagraj. Akhilesh said that while cities historically prospered along riverbanks, roads in Prayagraj now appeared to have turned into rivers because of poor planning and alleged corruption. Referring to the city's Smart City status, he said even the George Town police station appeared to be surrounded by water. He also questioned the accountability of local BJP legislators and alleged that despite massive spending on development projects, drainage problems continued to affect the city whenever it rained....