Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Engineer Nurul Karim has expressed hope that the long-standing waterlogging problem in city will reduce significantly from next year.
He said that if the ongoing projects of the Chattogram City Corporation, Water Development Board and the army are completed, the waterlogging in the city will reduce by about 75 percent.
He said this while inspecting various waterlogging relief projects in the city on Saturday. During this time, he inspected the ongoing work under the 34th Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army in the Jamalkhan and Hijra canal areas and ordered the immediate removal of temporary embankments.
According to CDA sources, a total of 36 canals are being re-excavated, expanded and renovated to relieve waterlogging in the city. Of these, 30 canals have already been completed. The work on the remaining canals is in the final stages.
However, some parts of the work are being delayed due to the outstanding amount of more than Tk 850 crore for the acquisition of land for Hijra Canal. It was informed that the work will be completed by paying compensation quickly once the allocation is received.
CDA Chairman said that a coordination committee has been formed to resolve waterlogging. All the concerned organizations are working together in this, which will make the implementation of the project easier.
He said, “The army, City Corporation and Water Development Board are working together on the waterlogging problem in Chattogram city. If coordination increases, results will be obtained quickly.”
Currently, several projects worth about Tk 5,600 crore are under implementation to resolve waterlogging in city. These include canal re-excavation, construction of sluice gates, embankment development and drain-sewer renovation activities.
After the inspection, the CDA Chairman inaugurated the tree plantation program as part of the Prime Minister's special priority 180-day program.
Initiatives have been taken to plant 28,000 saplings in 180 days for the purpose of environmental conservation and sustainable development. The program was inaugurated in the area from Kalurghat Bridge to Chaktai Canal on the banks of the Karnaphuli River.
According to experts, if not only canal excavation, but also regular maintenance, master drainage planning, reservoir conservation, illegal encroachment clearance and citizen awareness are ensured, it will be possible to bring waterlogging in Chittagong permanently under control to a large extent.
In this, he supervised the removal of temporary embankments provided by the 34th Brigade of the Army for work at various places under the ongoing project in the Jamalkhan Canal and Hijra Canal areas of the city.
During the inspection, he gave necessary instructions to the concerned contracting organizations working under the 34th Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army, which is implementing the project to alleviate public suffering, regarding the prompt removal of embankments.
To resolve the long-term waterlogging in Chittagong city, the work of re-excavation, expansion and renovation of 36 canals is being implemented as a Chowk project.
The 34th Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army is implementing the project at the field level. The work of 34 canals has already been completed. The work on the remaining Jamalkhan Canal and Hijra Canal is ongoing.
Ahmed Moinuddin, Project Director of the Waterlogging Relief Project and Executive Engineer of the Chittagong Development Authority, Captain Mohammad of the 34 Engineer Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army, the implementing agency, and other members of the Engineer Corps and concerned officials were present during the inspection.
CDA Board Member (Administration and Finance) Mohammad Nurullah Nuri (Additional Secretary to the Government), Member Md. Jamilur Rahman (Chief Urban Planner), Supervising Engineer AGM Selim, Supervising Engineer Mohammad Manjur Hasan, Supervising Engineer AMM Habibur Rahman, Project Director Rajib Das, Deputy Chief Urban Planner Md. Abu Isa Ansari, Finance and Accounts Officer Anisul Haque Patwari, Authorized Officer-2 Md. Tanjib Hossain, Authorized Officer-1 Kazi Quader Newaz, Senior Architect Md. Golam Rabbani Chowdhury and other officials and employees were present.
