Chattogram eyes two more projects after expenditure of Tk 104b

Two more projects are being planned to address waterlogging in Chattogram city. The draft estimated cost of these new initiatives stands at Tk 38.71 billion. However, the final expenditure may increase further once the feasibility study report is completed. The projects will be implemented by the Chattogram City Corporation.

Of the two projects, one involves the maintenance and renovation of 36 canals. The initial estimated cost of this project is Tk 3.22 billion. To ease the waterlogging work is already underway in these canals under a separate project taken by the Chattogram Development Authority (Chittagong Development Authority), which is being implemented by the Bangladesh Army’s 34 Engineer Construction Brigade.

However, not all canals in the city are included in that ongoing project. As a result, a separate comprehensive project is being planned for the remaining canals not covered under the current initiative.

The second project focuses on the development and renovation of 21 canals outside the existing 36-canal network. The estimated cost for this project is Tk 35.49 billion. The Chattogram City Corporation will implement both projects.

On Wednesday afternoon, the preliminary cost estimates and project details were presented at the temporary headquarters of the city corporation in Tiger Pass.

Mayor Shahadat Hossain attended the meeting as chief guest, along with experts and engineers from the city corporation. A consulting firm is currently preparing the Pre-Development Project Proposal (PDPP) for both initiatives.

City corporation engineers said that preliminary work on the two projects has been completed. Based on feedback from experts and engineers, revisions will be made.

They aim to finalise the Development Project Proposals (DPP) within the current month, after which the proposals will be sent to the Ministry of Local Government. Several additional approval stages will follow. Officials hope the projects may be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) by December this year.

At present, four waterlogging mitigation projects are underway in Chattogram city. These projects have been ongoing for 8 to 10 years. Among them, two are implemented by the CDA, and one each by the City Corporation and the Water Development Board. The total cost of these projects stands at Tk 143.89 billion, of which Tk 104.08 billion had been spent as of March.

What the two new projects will involve

The project covering 36 canals under the ongoing CDA initiative will focus on maintenance, re-excavation, waste removal, and long-term management over a five-year period. The proposed cost is Tk 3.223 billion. This budget includes canal re-excavation, silt removal, waste transportation, machinery procurement, boundary protection, and environmental management.

The total length of these 36 canals is 110.33 kilometers, ranging from half a kilometer to six kilometers each, with some even longer. The current average depth of the canals varies between 0.8 meters and 2.5 meters. During the project period, 1.6 million cubic meters of silt will be removed. In the first year alone, Tk 1.12 billion is planned to be spent.

However, officials say this cost is likely to increase. City Corporation supervising engineer Abu Sadat Mohammad Tayeeb said the estimates would be reviewed again, noting that some budget heads are underestimated and may require significant revision.

Some expenditure heads have been included, while others have either been omitted or allocated amounts that are far below actual requirements. As a result, the project cost could rise to at least Tk 10 billion to Tk 15 billion.

A separate project covering 21 canals has also been proposed, with a total length of 34.75 kilometers. The estimated cost is Tk 25.78 billion. This includes construction of embankment walls along both sides of the canals, Tk 580 million for land acquisition, Tk 570 million for tidal regulator gates and pump stations, Tk 370 million for utility pipeline relocation and road works, Tk 530 million for environmental management and GIS systems, and Tk 770 million for beautification.

Experts who have long worked on Chattogram’s waterlogging issue, including engineers Delwar Majumdar and Shahriar Khaled, said there are still several canals outside these 21 that must be included in any comprehensive solution.

Mayor Shahadat Hossain said that because some work has already been completed, Chattogram is likely to experience comparatively better conditions during this year's monsoon season. However, he stressed that reducing waterlogging requires keeping the canals functional, free from encroachment, and properly maintained.

The city's waterlogging problem, he said, cannot be addressed simply by cleaning canals or implementing one or two projects. A comprehensive solution is needed.

He added that tackling waterlogging requires a holistic approach that takes into account canals, drains, drainage channels, sluice gates, canal encroachment, and the narrowing of waterways.

Referring to the project proposed for the maintenance of 36 canals, the mayor said that the current cost estimates need further review. He also said that the list of 21 canals included in the second project should be reconsidered. Canals that have not yet been included in the list should be added, he said, noting that the total number could eventually reach between 40 and 50. The final list should be determined after a thorough review and verification process.