Razing hills and dumping imperishable wastes on drains and canals need to be stopped to tackle waterlogging, said speakers at a coordination meeting in Chattogram today.

They also emphasised on cleaning dirt and silt from the canals.

The coordination meeting was held at Chattogram City Corporation's conference room where representatives from CCC, Chattogram Development Authority, Chattogram Water and Sewerage Authority, Chattogram Port Authority and Bangladesh Water Development Board were present.

A total of four projects worth Tk 14,389.36 crore are being implemented by CCC, CDA, and BWDB to address the port city's waterlogging woes.

CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, who presided over the meeting, said the port city residents are worried as monsoon is knocking at the door.

"The few hours of rainfall in a day last week caused waterlogging in Muradpur and different other low-lying areas in the city. People have become aggrieved for this," he said.

"The main task of the four ongoing projects is to extract earth from the canals, but I don't know how much earth has been extracted from the canals so far," he also said.

"Lifting earth from the canals' surface and building retaining walls on both sides is not enough. Earth will have to be lifted from the canals' depths," the mayor further said.

"Another main task is to stop hill cutting. The rainwater washes the loose soil from razed hills which ends up clogging the drains. Silt traps will have to be installed on the hill slopes," he added.

The mayor placed emphasis on forming a quick response team comprising representatives from CCC, CDA, CWasa, BWDB and Chattogram Port to act rapidly in case of any emergency during monsoon.

CDA chairman Mohammad Yunus echoed him.

"The Department of Environment will have to play a pivotal role to stop razing of hills as the CDA does not have the mandate in this regard," he said.

"The third Karnaphuli Bridge has been built as a pillar bridge, thereby causing siltation on the riverbed and also in the adjacent Chaktai Canal. If it was a hanging bridge, there would not have been any problem," he added.

CWasa managing director AKM Fazlullah said there were a total 76 canals in the port city as per the Cadastral Survey, but currently 19 canals no longer exist due to encroachment by influential people.

"We will have to reclaim these canals to ease waterlogging," he added.