Mitigating Waterlogging in Chattogram City: Over Tk 3,000cr spent, yet no remedy in sight

When the Executive Committee for National Economic Council (Ecnec) in August 2017 approved a Tk 7,916 crore project for Chattogram Development Board (CDA) to mitigate the waterlogging crisis, port city dwellers were exhilarated, expecting the perennial woes to end by 2020, as per the project deadline.

Three years down the line, miseries due to waterlogging increased manifold, while CDA could complete only half the total work. CDA sought another two years to complete the work from the ministry concerned.

Apart from this, the Water Development Board (WDB) took up a project worth Tk 1,620 crore to address waterlogging, which it could not start due to opposition from Chattogram Port Authority (CPA).

Meanwhile, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) could not even start its project work in six years, due to complications in acquiring land required for its Tk 1,256 crore project.

WARNINGS OF FUND SHORTAGE FOR CDA PROJECT

Although Ecnec approved the project in August 2017, work started in mid-2019, as authorities delayed preparing the layout and hiring the consultant firm for the project.

A firm from the Netherlands, which was given work to set up sluice gates, could not start work due to the pandemic, CDA sources said.

CDA extended its project deadline to June 2023. It has so far spent Tk 1,774 crore, finishing 50 percent of total work, as of June 2021.

Bangladesh Army's 34 Engineering Construction Brigade has been assigned CDA and WDB's projects for implementation.

Lieutenant Colonel Md Shah Ali, project director of CDA project, in a letter sent in May to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and CDA chairperson cited scarcity of necessary released funds in the last fiscal to accelerate the work.

"Tk 732.69 crore was allocated in fiscal 2020-2021. Tk 308.72 crore was released in three phases, which was given to contractors. It will not be possible to pay any bill until the next release of funds. In the fourth instalment, only Tk 27 crore was promised," the letter said.

If Tk 500 crore is not released in time, the pace of work will not reach the expected level, the letter warned.

CDA evicted 3,179 illegal structures built in 35 canals of the port city, as a part of the waterlogging mitigation project.

Under CDA's project, 54 culverts and bridges were constructed, while construction of sluice is yet to start. Only 58 kilometres of retaining walls have been constructed, whereas 176 kilometres was outlined in the project plan.

CDA began work to construct 15 silt traps (a trap that prevents silt from rolling down and filling up drains) out of 54. Only 1.5 kilometres of road has been constructed along the two banks of 35 canals, whereas 85 kilometres was proposed.

DISPUTE BETWEEN WDB, CPA

The Tk 1,620 crore project of WDB was approved in 2019, with a plan to build 23 regulators in the estuary of 23 canals along Karnaphuli river to ward off tidal water streaming into the port city, and an 18.96-km flood wall.

They could not start the work even in 2021, due to strong opposition from CPA, which alleged that WDB did not consult with CPA when they planned the project.

Tayan Kumar Tripura, executive engineer of WDB, told The Daily Star that their project includes setting up an eight-kilometre retaining wall from Boat Club to inside Issa Khan base.

"For that, CPA needs to demarcate the river shore, so that we can follow the alignment. But they did not help us, and even stood against the project with no clear reason," he said.

Contacted, one of the CPA directors, seeking anonymity, told this newspaper that CPA is the guardian of Karnaphuli river. When any organisation takes any project within CPA's territory, they must consult with them.

"They did not share what they want to do from the beginning. As the port is a sensitive area, we must know the components of their project, so that we can assess whether it will hamper port activities. That's why we oppose the project," he said.

But Tayan rejected the allegation, saying an inter-ministry meeting will decide the fate of the project.

CCC PROJECT DELAYED DUE TO FUND CRISIS

Meanwhile, CCC could not start excavating a canal to mitigate waterlogging due to fund crisis, as it had not gotten full allocation, Tk 1,110 crore, for land acquisition.

Earlier, it got Tk 911 crore, and after receiving all the funds, it has started work.

Farhad Alam, project director of CCC, told The Daily Star that they have sent a proposal to the ministry concerned to extend the project duration by few years, as the existing deadline is June next year.

"We got approval for three LA [land acquisition] cases and full funds to acquire land for the 2.9-km long Baroipara canal's excavation. We hope we will be able to complete the project in time," he said.

Chattogram city, known as the country's business capital, has seen unprecedented levels of waterlogging during moderate rainfall in early June and July. The tidal surge with downpour submerges residential areas, key thoroughfares and the country's biggest wholesale commodity market at Khatunganj.

A joint survey by National Resilience Programme under Planning Commission and UNDP in 2019 estimated the cost of damage inflicted by waterlogging in the business hub to be Tk 2,517 crore in the last decade, and the problem directly affected 5,000 businesses.