Water stagnation in Chittagong city takes a severe turn every year with the advent of the rainy season despite its wonderful natural drainage system.
A little rainfall is enough to inundate the low-lying Chaktai, Bakalia, Khatunganj, Asadganj, Agrabad, Badurtala, Rahmatganj, Halishahar, Chandgao, Chawkbazar, Muradpur and Kapashgola.
The incumbent mayor, Manjur Alam, in his election manifesto had pledged to address water-logging in the city. But even after one year of his tenure, the city people's complaint about the nagging water stagnation remained unaddressed.
'We live on the ground floor of a student mess. Every year the floor goes under water during the rainy season,' complained Mustafijur residing at Nasirabad.
'The canals are not excavated regularly while there is hardly any drive to free the city canals and riverbanks from the grabbers,' said Mohammad Mamun, a resident of Agrabad.
'After excavation, the garbage is piled up on the both sides of the drains and canals. As a result, the rainwater washes away the garbage again into the canals and drains', said Minu Barua, a dweller of Tigerpass.
The Chaktai canal, the major carrier of city household water and wastes into the River Karnaphuli, and other canals and drains have narrowed down and industrial and household wastes have made the canals shallow.
The grabbers in many places have built shops and other establishments along the canals and riverbank. As a consequence, the whole area around Chaktai- Khatunganj goes under water with a little rainfall.
To make the matter further worse, Ab-e-Jam Jam, a ship stuck at the confluence of Chaktai-Karnaphuli for eight months, is obstructing the free flow of water.
When contacted, city corporation magistrate Kazi Mohammad Abdur Rahman told New Age that they had already launch drives on a regular basis against the grabbers of canal and river embankments in order to ensure their free flow of water.
Bijoy Kumar Chowdhury, president of the permanent committee for addressing water stagnation, an initiative of the city corporation, told New Age that the city corporation had taken a Tk 17.50 crore project to address water stagnation in the city.
To restore the free flow of canal and drain water, they have been removing the silt and garbage in 41 wards of the city.
'Compared with previous year, the extent of water stagnation in the city has reduced by up to 25 per cent. About 60 per cent work of the project to address water stagnation has been completed. If implemented fully, the project would reduce water-logging to a great extent', said Bijoy.
Meanwhile, experts and city planners have stressed concerted efforts of all to address the water stagnation in the port city.
'There should be well coordination between the city corporation and the Chittagong Development Authority. Besides, all government bodies should work together to address the problem; the city corporation cannot alone address it,' said AKM Rezaul Karim, chief CCC city planner.
'The canals of the city, particularly the Chaktai canal, have to be freed from the grabbers. Road or footpath could be built on the both sides of the canals to reclaim the encroached canals,' added Rezaul.
Terming the natural drainage system of the Chittagong city as wonderful, Rashedul Hasan, lecturer in urban and regional planning of the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, said lack of adequate maintenance of canals and drains was responsible for water stagnation in the city.
The authorities concerned should take precautionary measures before the advent of rainy season, he said, adding the city dwellers should not throw their household wastes into the drains.
Source : New Age
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