As the port city of Chittagong has been in the grip of perennial waterlogging, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) today approved a project involving Tk 5,616.50 crore to mitigate sufferings of its residents.

The approval of the “canal re-excavation, extension, renovation and development to resolve waterlogging in Chittagong city” came at the weekly meeting of Ecnec held at the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar of Dhaka.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of 11 projects were approved with an overall cost of Tk 9,761.24 crore.

"Of the total project cost, Tk 8,267.86 crore will come from the national exchequer while Tk 703.38 crore from the organisations' own funds and the rest of Tk 790 crore as project assistance," he said.

Of the approved 11 projects, 10 are new while one is revised one.