Getting rid of Chattogram's water logging

Water logging has become an everyday affair for Chattogram city dwellers. But it intensifies every year in the rainy season. Even after a regular rain the city streets go under knee-deep water. But the recent rainfall that continued for six consecutive days has caused waist-deep water logging in some low-lying areas of the port city. Many residential areas including the house of Chattagram City Corporation Mayor Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury have gone under several feet of rainwater. Moving from one place to another has become quite impossible as the roads have witnessed flash floods. People now have to wade through filthy water mixed with sewage, which can break out various waterborne diseases. A number of areas can remain inundated for days. But the situation remains more or less similar every year. However, we have not yet seen any long-term plan from the authorities concerned to resolve it for good.

If we look closely, we will find that unplanned construction of buildings, littering, encroachment of canals and water bodies are some of the major reasons behind this perennial water-logging problem. The authorities should address this problem immediately and come forward with a permanent solution so that waterlogged roads do not remain a problem for our city. The canals and drains of the city should be excavated. Illegal structures on the canals and drains must be removed. We hope the city corporation authorities will take immediate action to solve the problem of water logging before it is too late.

Asad Ush Shaheed,

Halishahar, Chattogram,

asadushshaheed@gmail.com