KCC to excavate two rivers to improve city’s drainage system

KHULNA, Nov 18: Khulna City Corporation (KCC) is going to implement re-excavating of the Mayur and Khude rivers, the two major rivers for removing city's street water during rainy season, with an estimated cost of around Taka 11.86 crore.
Of the rivers, Tk 7.59 crore cost will be for Mayur, and Taka 4.27 crore cost will be for Khude.
"The excavation work will begin in the last week of November, 2022. Work of layout and pre-survey for re-excavating the rivers is now running, said an official of the KCC. Under the management of drainage development project,  KCC has taken the project last year. It was lying before ECNEC for approval, and KCC has started digging activities after ECNEC approved the project this year, said the official.
In 2014, government has allotted Taka 5.78 crore for digging 5,900 meters in view to smooth removing of rain water to save the city from water logging. M/S Jamil Iqbal Javi, a contractor organization has begun the digging works on February 3.  
The then KCC authorities led by BNP backed Mayor Moniruzzaman Mony stopped the work before finishing by November 10 in 2015, the official alleged, adding that the contractor organization has received the allotted money.
While talking with the Daily Observer, KCC Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque said the then KCC authority misappropriated the government money.  
"As per my election pledge, I shall begin the project for solving water-logging problem from the city streets during the rainy season.
ECNEC has okayed Taka 823 crore for development of drainage management to solve water-logging problem before I have taken charge as KCC mayor on September 25, 2018. Under the project, the digging of two river works will begin this month, he said.
Replying to a question, the Mayor said, I have taken initiative to publish a white paper after investigating  the previous Mayur River digging works, but it was not completed on different causes.
"In my previous tenure as the KCC mayor, I have taken an initiative to make water-logging free Khulna City through demolishing illegal establishments from grabbers of 22 canals of the KCC. I could not complete my task as the vested quarter gunned down Shahid Iqbal Bither, the then convener of illegal establishment evacuation committee and popular councilor of Ward No- 24.
While talking with The Daily Observer, Chief Engineer of KCC and Project Director Monjurul Islam said, " We have started the work of digging activities five months back, but we delayed to give work order to the contractor due to rainy season,".
He hoped that city-dwellers will get relief from the long-standing issue, and city will look green and clean after completion of the project.