Chattogram’s 1,600 km of drains to be cleaned before next monsoon: PM

The government is carrying out a series of projects to address Chattogram’s long-standing waterlogging problem and improve the city’s infrastructure, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told Parliament on Wednesday.

The Baroipara Canal excavation project has already been completed, while the cleaning of 1,600 kilometres of service drains and the removal of accumulated soil and waste from canals are expected to be completed before the next monsoon season, he said.

The prime minister made the remarks in response to a question from Chattogram-13 lawmaker Sarwar Jamal Nizam during the question-answer session of Parliament on Wednesday (September 9). Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed chaired the session.

Nizam asked whether the government had taken any special measures to develop Chattogram, the country’s commercial capital, and address waterlogging in the city corporation area. In response, Tarique said the government had completed 100% of the Baroipara Canal excavation project as part of its efforts to tackle waterlogging in the city.

He said the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is currently carrying out the removal of waste and soil from 25 canals, alongside cleaning 1,600 kilometres of service drains across the city.

The work to remove accumulated soil and waste from the drains is expected to be completed before the next monsoon, he said. Similar waste and soil removal work is also underway in another 32 canals across the city.

Plans for long-term waterlogging management

The prime minister said the government was also focusing on regular maintenance of canals as part of efforts to address waterlogging on a long-term basis. Under the Chattogram Development Authority’s (CDA) ongoing Waterlogging Mitigation Mega Project, work is underway to prepare a Development Project Proposal (DPP) for the maintenance of 36 canals included in the project.

A separate DPP is also being prepared for the excavation and maintenance of 21 additional canals that fall outside the mega project, he said.

Infrastructure development

Tarique also outlined several infrastructure projects being implemented in the Chattogram City Corporation area. He said projects aimed at improving roads and key infrastructure, including Airport Road, are being implemented to modernise the city’s transport network.

Under these initiatives, 48 kilometres of roads, two culverts and six foot overbridges have already been constructed, according to the prime minister. He also said development work on two playgrounds has already been completed to support the physical and mental wellbeing of city residents, while work on six more playgrounds is currently underway.