Chattogram’s death traps

"I thank God for letting me see my son's body for the last time," Ali Kawsar, the father of a 12-year old boy, told reporters with  tear-stained eyes, soon after the body of his son Kamal was recovered  from Mirza Khal in Chattogram's Muradpur area in December 2021, around 68 hours after he fell into a drain on December 7.

And he had reasons to thank the Almighty, as he could at least find the body of his baby boy, or whatever that remained of him.

The family of vegetable vendor  Saleh Ahmed was not so lucky, as he is still "missing" even after almost two years of falling into the same drain, located near Sholashahar Railway Station of the port city on August 25 of the same year.

Take the case of the drains on both sides of the road from Muradpur to Bahaddarhat for example, one of the main thoroughfares of the port city. The huge drains by the side of footpaths have been left open and unprotected.

Similarly, a university student named Sehrin Mahbub Sadia was also swept away by an open drain in September of the same year.

A three-year-old baby, Ojaifa was killed after falling down into an unprotected drain in Sadarghat Nalapara area on April 9 this year.

Over the past seven years, at least eight lives have been claimed, while countless others suffered injuries, after falling into these unprotected drains and canals that haunt the city's streets.

The open drains have set up a perfect death trap for the people living in the port city. As the commercial capital of the country sinks even after minimal rain, it gets nearly impossible for its residents to identify these roadside sewers.

With the ongoing monsoon threatening to exacerbate waterlogging, the residents harbour a collective fear that such tragedies may proliferate once more.

With the ongoing monsoon threatening to exacerbate waterlogging, the inhabitants of Chattogram harbour a collective fear that such tragedies may proliferate once more, as the disconcerting state of the open drains persists largely unchanged.

Take the case of the drains on both sides of the road from Muradpur to Bahaddarhat for example, one of the main thoroughfares of the port city. The huge drains by the side of footpaths have been left open and unprotected.

During a recent visit, it was noticed that pedestrians were walking on the footpaths with a high risk of falling into the drains. The risk of accidents increases manifold at nighttime and during waterlogging.

"Waterlogging is a common phenomenon in this area during monsoon; as the road goes under water, pedestrians fail to differentiate the road from these drains, which causes accidents," said MA Gani, a resident of Bahaddarhat area.

The same situation prevailed in the drains beside the road from Muradpur to Sholashahar. There is a wide drain on one side of the road and a canal (Chashma Khal) on the other side. Although a number of accidents and casualties occurred in this canal including the tragedies mentioned above, the canal still lies unprotected.

"We are in a constant state of panic while crossing the road during waterlogging," said local resident Samir Jaladas.

According to city corporation officials, there are a total of 57 (161km) canals and 765km drains in the city. Chattogram City Corporation conducted a survey of risky spots in drains, canals and footpaths in 2021. After the survey, a total of 5,527 risky spots were identified, the total length of which was 19km. But the works on safeguarding the risky spots have allegedly been going on at a snail's pace, said sources in CCC.

Contacted, CCC Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam said they have already installed slabs on  30,000 square feet of drains, while retaining walls have been built beside 18,000 square feet of risky canals.

Holding a photo of his son Kamal, a distraught Ali Kawser looks for the 12-year-old who fell into an open drain while playing in Sholashahar Railway Station area on December 7, 2021. Kamal’s body was recovered after 68 hours. File Photo

About unprotected drains and canal in Muradpur to Sholashahar Gate-2, he said the Chattogram Development Authority has been working in these areas under a mega project for addressing waterlogging, so it is the responsibility of CDA to protect the canal and drains of these places.

Contacted, Lt Col Shah Ali, project director of CDA,  said CDA was just working to install walls by the Chashma canal, but the drains on the other side of the road don't fall under their jurisdiction.

"We have built a protection wall in some portions of the canal and the remaining works will be resumed in the next dry season," he said.