Waterlogging hits life again in Ctg

Torrential rain and high tide on Friday cause waterlogging in the low-lying areas of the city. Water also entered different shops at Chaktai and Khatunganj. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

Residents in the port city once again experienced the bitter sufferings of waterlogging on Thursday due to incessant downpour and an unusual and excessive tidal surge caused by deep convection.
Khatunganj and Chaktai, two major trade centres, were mostly affected as rainwater entered around 70 percent of shops and godowns damaging goods. It was a rare incident of waterlogging in last 20 years after the cyclone on April 29 in 1991.
People living in the low-lying areas of the city also faced untold sufferings due to the waterlogging.
Town planners, environmental activists and city dwellers blamed lack of renovation and absence of regular dredging of the city canals for the havoc apart from the excessive tidal surge.
They expressed their resentment over lack of enough initiatives by the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) in last three months though the new mayor pledged to address the problem of waterlogging on priority basis.
Following a three-day incessant downpour since October 5 and tidal upsurge on October 8 due to deep convection over North Bay, serious waterlogging affected the low-lying city areas like Halishahar, Agrabad, Sholashahar, Kalurghat, Moulvibazar, Mohra, Chandgaon, Chawkbazar, Badurtala, Bakalia, Khatunganj and Chaktai.
Water entered a number of shops at Khatunganj Wholesale Market damaging food items like rice, lentil, sugar and others stored in the shops and the godowns.
Syed Sagir Ahmad, general secretary of Khatunganj Trade and Industries, said the rainwater entered over 70 percent of the shops at the wholesale market damaging goods worth over Tk 150 crore.
Samsuddoha, a wholesaler at Khatunganj, said he has not seen such waterlogging since 1991.
During a visit to Moulvibazar area at Kalurghat on Saturday, residents were found drying their utensils and furniture damaged due to waterlogging on the previous night.
Mukesh Chowdhury said he along with his family members spent the night sleepless on the bed since they were marooned by water.
The port city experienced less waterlogging last year than ever before due to pragmatic steps taken by the city corporation.
CCC managed to reduce waterlogging remarkably by extensive renovation and dredging of over 100 canals that continued from December 2007 to June 2008 with the help of sophisticated excavators.
But due to absence of regular dredging and maintenance of the drains and canals, the drainage system went back to its previous miserable state causing waterlogging that was one of the major issues in the June 17 CCC election.
Experts also blamed absence of digging new canals and lack of proper maintenance and dredging for triggering waterlogging again.
Shahriar Khaled, member secretary of the drainage and environment sub-committee of Forum for Planned Chittagong (FPC), termed the October 8 as a natural calamity, saying it was not a usual matter rather it was an unusual and excessive tidal surge due to the convection and full moon.
He, however, emphasised renovation and restoration of the original state of existing and lost drains following the Drainage Master Plan of 1995, to check such disaster and to put an end to waterlogging in the port city.
Shahriar said many of the 144 big and small canals in the city have lost their original state for lack of dredging.
He said the original average depth of Chaktai canal was once at 30 feet to 40 feet, which has come down to 3 to 4 feet at different points like Masterpole, Mia Khan Nagar and Chawkbazar.
He said a long-term plan with a proper design is needed to restore the original state of the canals and drains, to check such waterlogging.
Engineer Ali Ashraf, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners and the immediate past president of Institution of Engineers Bangladesh, Chittagong centre, also suggested the same.
He underscored the need for making a project profile for the total dredging and renovation of the existing and lost canals and digging of new canals according to the master plan.
When contacted Mayor Manjur Alam said a standing committee has been formed to address the issue immediately after he took charge of the city corporation.
The committee would submit a report in this regard soon, after visiting the canals, said the mayor, adding that CCC has taken initiatives for purchasing sophisticated excavators and other equipment needed for dredging canals.
He said the dredging and renovation of the canals would start in the coming dry season.