The Crime Desk: Every monsoon, most areas of the city are submerged in heavy rains. City residents suffer from waterlogging. The Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and CDA have been ‘blaming’ each other for this waterlogging. However, this time, the two organization heads want to break away from the culture of blaming and work together to free the city residents from the suffering of waterlogging in the coming monsoon. Ahead of the monsoon, City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain and CDA Chairman Engineer Md. Nurul Karim gave such a hint while participating in a canal cleaning program in the city’s Mogaltuli area on Wednesday morning. At the time, the mayor said that everyone has to work together. The CDA Chairman said that CDA and City Corporation are now working as a team.
Under the ongoing mega project to reduce waterlogging, the project-implementing agency, Bangladesh Army’s 34 Engineer Construction Brigade, has taken up the Mogaltuli Canal cleaning program. Army Project Director Lt. Col. Md. Ferdous Ahmed and Project Officer Major Kamrul Al Masud were present at the inauguration of the program. After the Mogaltuli Canal excavation program, the mayor inaugurated the agricultural canal excavation work adjacent to the large cemetery in the West Baklia Ward on the initiative of the CHSK. Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Dr. Md. Ziauddin was present at the time.
Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the Mogaltuli Canal excavation program, Dr. Shahadat Hossain said, Waterlogging is a man-made disaster. If we are not aware, we will have to bear this man-made disaster. No matter how much we work to reduce waterlogging, this project will not be completely successful if we cannot increase public awareness. He said this canal (Mogaltuli) was cleaned last year, but it has been turned into a garbage dump again. I cleaned a canal behind Jamal Khan a few days ago, and it has also been filled with garbage. There is a lack of public awareness; we are throwing polythene, plastic, and cock sheets everywhere. Since these are not biodegradable, the canal is filling up. We are working to bring people under public awareness.
CDA Chairman Engineer Md. Nurul Karim said that, not only in Chittagong but in the whole of Bangladesh, the waterlogging relief project is a top priority project. Apart from the chief advisor, four other advisors are directly monitoring the waterlogging project. Many organizations, including CDA and City Corporation, are now working in coordination. The good news for the people of Chittagong is that CDA and City Corporation are now working as a team. He said the main and branch drains must be kept clean.
Lt. Col. Md. Ferdous Ahmed said, “If we build 36 canals free from encroachment, then the waterlogging will not go away. The canals need a portable network to hold water. There may be some lack of social responsibility of people towards the canal. Today, we started our canal excavation work with all of you.”
What the mayor said during the excavation of the agricultural canal: During the inauguration of the excavation of the agricultural canal, Dr. Shahadat said, “I took the initiative to clean the agricultural canal within three to four days of becoming mayor. But today, I came here and saw that the canal is filled with dirt again. I will clean this 900-foot canal again. If this canal is clean, the water of the Baklia, Bahaddarhat, and Chandgaon areas will flow into the Chaktai canal, and from the Chaktai canal it will flow into the Karnaphuli river.”
The mayor said, “Once upon a time, goods were transported and people swam through this canal. We want to restore the normal flow of the canal by re-excavating this canal.” The condition of the agricultural canal is that once its width was about 21 feet. Now it will not be more than 6-8 feet. The surrounding houses have encroached on it. The houses that have fallen should be vacated. I want to bring it back to 21 feet. It should be at least 15-16 feet.
Shahadat said that in addition to the agricultural canal, the corporation will also clean the 21 canals outside the CDA project. According to the BS seat, wherever someone forcibly occupies the canal land, the law will be enforced against those. He said if we could have worked by addressing 57 canals from the beginning, then 90 percent, if not 100 percent, of waterlogging would have been resolved. But it is doubtful whether 50-60 percent waterlogging would have been resolved due to the construction of 36 canals. They could not have involved the people in the programs that were there earlier. If they could have consulted the locals when they were doing the 36 canals and given priority to them, then there would not have been a need for so many coordination meetings today. The mayor also said that if the 21 canals are given to the CHSIC, they will work in coordination with the drainage master plan.
At that time, when journalists asked about the CDA’s initiative to resolve waterlogging before the monsoon, the mayor said, “We have given two projects to the local government department. One is to clean drains and canals through bulk allocation. We have asked for Tk 100 crore for that. Because we do not have that amount of budget. The other is a project to buy equipment for Tk 198 crore. We have asked for a budget of Tk 300 crore. The slow pace and the many problems in them are acting as an obstacle for us. He said, We are cleaning canals and drains with our own funds. From the money we receive as holding tanks. The holding tanks are also not being given properly.
He said that the 30-32 sluice gates that the Water Development Board has made could not maintain the width that they were supposed to have. They have made them narrow. If this obstacle cannot be removed, there will be problems.” If the local people’s advice had been taken, everyone would have benefited. The mayor said to the city residents, “Today we are cleaning. Tomorrow we should not have a garbage station. We have polythene plastic here; we have even got mattresses and pillows.”
Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Dr. Md. Ziauddin said, “We are cleaning the city today.”
