Most parts of Chattogram city have been submerged in the past three days of rain, disrupting public lives. Even the courtyard of the city mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury's house and the adjacent road were under knee-deep water. City dwellers were seen to use boats as means of transport in many areas.
Every year during the monsoon season, a significant portion of Chattogram city gets submerged. When tidal water mixes with monsoon rain, the situation becomes extreme. Despite being known as the hub of the country's economy and holding the title of commercial capital, the condition of the city does not seem to concern the government's policymakers. Instead, different government agencies tend to pass the blame onto one another for the waterlogging issue, while it is the people who suffer the consequences.
Chattogram's waterlogging problem is deeply rooted and has a long history. The city once boasted 2500 canals and drains, which efficiently drained water into the river. However, over time, encroachment and pollution have led to the filling up of most of these canals. Additionally, during high tide, sea water finds its way into the city due to climate change-induced sea level rise, further exacerbating the situation.
In order to tackle the issue of flooding, the restoration of canals and drains is crucial, and the construction of sluice gates becomes essential to prevent the inflow of sea water. In 1969, a foreign company proposed a plan to address waterlogging, but unfortunately, it never materialised. Subsequently, in 1995, the government initiated another mega plan, but the decision-making process regarding who will be responsible for the planning and execution has been time-consuming. In fact, the project work started six to ten years ago.
According to a Prothom Alo report, three organisations are currently working to implement four projects aimed at solving the waterlogging issue in Chattogram city as per the mega plan. These organisations include the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Chittagong City Corporation, and Water Development Board.
However, there are also allegations that there is a lack of coordination among these three organisations, making it difficult to effectively implement the projects, especially if the City Corporation and CDA do not collaborate and support each other.
The authorities, including the CDA, Chittagong City Corporation, and WDB, were supposed to implement these projects, but the necessary allocation was not issued, resulting in slow progress. In this case, there are allegations of lack of coordination between the CDA, City Corporation, and WDB, which is unwarranted. It is important to focus on completing the work promptly rather than arguing over who should lead it.
It has been 28 years since the mega plan was initiated, and aside from the human suffering caused by flooding every year, irreparable economic losses are also incurred. We hope the project will be completed immediately to overcome these issues and make Chattogram city more livable.
The situation cannot be expected to improve if any of the canals that need to be dredged or to drain out the water or the sluice gates that need to be constructed to hold back the tidal water remain incomplete. Those involved should remember that if the water bodies are not protected, the entire city, including the roads, will turn into wetlands.