Despite spending billions of taka over more than a decade and launching multiple large-scale drainage projects, the port-city of Chattogram still continues to suffer from crippling waterlogging during monsoon, reports UNB.
The delays in project implementation, uncoordinated efforts, lack of proper planning, and public indifference have turned the problem into an enduring nightmare for the port-city residents.
Meanwhile, hope emerged earlier this year when the interim government took the issue seriously. On January 19, four advisers - Syeda Rizwana Hasan (Environment and Water Resources), Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan (Road Transport and Bridges), Faruk-e-Azam (Disaster Management), and Adilur Rahman Khan (Housing and Public Works) - visited the port-city to assess the situation.
After visiting the key canals and drains, they launched eight short-term initiatives. As a result, some areas saw improvement in drainage and recent heavy rains caused comparatively less flooding in those places.
CCC Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said a complete solution across the city would require at least one to one and a half years.
In 2017, four major projects aimed at eradicating waterlogging in the port-city were jointly undertaken by the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA), Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), and the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
These projects, with a combined estimated cost of nearly Tk 140.00 billion, were scheduled for completion by 2022. But, work progress now ranges between 60 per cent and 80 per cent.
The recent spells of continuous rain have once again left the low-lying areas of the city submerged. Some areas saw faster water drainage due to canal renovation works under the waterlogging mitigation project.
However, many neighbourhoods, including Chawkbazar, Mehedibag, Kapasgola, Katalganj, Sholokbahar and Agrabad still experienced severe inundation, causing immense suffering to thousands of residents.
Despite warnings of possible landslides in the hilly areas of the city due to the heavy rains, no visible steps have been taken to relocate residents from the risky zones.
According to the CCC sources, excavation work of 21 canals, out of 36, has been completed. Besides, regulator gates and pump houses have been constructed at the mouths of four canals, out of the 12 planned under the project.
Project engineer and CDA chief engineer, Kazi Hasan Bin Shams, said waterlogging in the city has comparatively reduced, as work progresses. He blamed non-degradable waste for blocking the drainage channels and creating obstructions.
Urban planner and engineer Delwar Majumder stressed the need for holding the private and institutional owners of vulnerable hills accountable, as failure to do so would keep the risk of landslides and casualties alive.
City residents, however, remain critical of the situation. They blame poor urban management and public irresponsibility for the unending misery. Despite some improvements, the city remains under constant threat of flooding during peak monsoon, a hardship they have endured for years.
Over the last 14 fiscal years, the CCC has spent Tk 3.24 billion under three successive mayors to tackle the problem. The funds went into canal excavation, silt removal from drains, construction of retention walls, and procurement of machinery and trucks. On average, Tk 230 million has been spent annually.
Yet experts opine that the money was not spent in a well-planned manner. Instead, routine work was done merely to show effort and the funds seem to have washed away without resolving the core issues. Besides, given the scale of the problem, the amount spent was not adequate.
According to sources, 22 of Chattogram's 41 wards experience waterlogging during heavy rain and tidal surges, affecting over 3.1 million of the city's 6.0 million residents.
An analysis of the CCC's budget documents and annual reports reveals that former mayor A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury spent Tk 661.1 million on waterlogging measures between FY 2003-04 and FY 2008-09.
His successor, Mohammad Manjur Alam, spent Tk 2.05 billion during his tenure. Mayor A J M Nasir Uddin, elected in 2015, spent Tk 525.3 million in two years.
Chattogram has 118 canals spanning a total of 182.25 kilometres, along with 710 kilometres of concrete drains and 55 kilometres of unpaved ones.
The CCC receives far less than what is needed in terms of budget, with annual development implementation fluctuating between 17 per cent and 35 per cent.
Often, less important projects are undertaken for political reasons, while silt removal alone is insufficient to fix the problem. A coordinated effort is urgently required, experts said.
During Mayor Manjur Alam's tenure, CCC spent Tk 828.2 million on drain and retaining wall construction, and Tk 219.7 million on silt removal. The experts opined that much of this work was for show, including the purchase of equipment, and that planned investment would have brought better outcomes.
They noted that implementing the 1995 'Chittagong Storm Water Drainage and Flood Control Masterplan' is the only viable long-term solution. The plan clearly outlines how to address the issue, and the CCC has been assigned responsibility for its implementation. As considerable time has passed since its formulation, it now requires review and updates.
All the relevant agencies, including the CDA, Chattogram Port Authority, WASA, and BWDB, must act in coordination under the leadership of the CCC. With the current budget and capacity, the CCC alone cannot bear the burden of solving this complex problem.
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