Saturday | 17 May 2025 | Reg No- 06
Bangla
   
Bangla | Saturday | 17 May 2025 | Epaper
BREAKING: ● Ex-lawmaker Momtaz lands in jail after remand      ● AL's socially acceptable members can join BNP      ● 3 placed on 6-day remand over DU JCD leader murder      ● Separate 'Microcredit Bank Act' would be framed to set up microcredit bank      ● Protesters demand immediate swearing-in of Ishraque as DSCC mayor      ● 3 killed as lorry rams human hauler in Khulna      ● Banned BCL brings out sudden procession, 3 detained      

Preempt waterlogging in Chattogram

Published : Sunday, 20 April, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 341
Rashedul Islam Akib
Chattogram, the second-largest city in Bangladesh, comes to a standstill every year during the monsoon due to severe waterlogging. Roads turn into rivers, shops go underwater, people cannot leave their homes, educational institutions close, hospitals become inaccessible - and this recurring crisis seems like an inevitable curse upon this modern city. However, behind this persistent issue lie poor planning, lack of coordination among agencies, delays, negligence in project implementation, and administrative apathy.

Despite spending billions over the last decade, there is still no sustainable solution to this problem. It raises the question: where are the outcomes of all these expenditures and projects? Why are city dwellers still enduring the same sufferings every monsoon? Why do canal excavation and drain-cleaning drives suddenly become active only right before the monsoon while remaining stagnant the rest of the year?

To overcome this situation, a specific, realistic, long-term, and technology-based solution plan is essential. The first step should be forming a Central Urban Drainage Management Authority where Chattogram City Corporation, CDA, WASA, the Water Development Board, and the Local Government Division can work together. When separate agencies implement isolated projects, their actions often conflict, leading to delays and inefficiency. Secondly, a digital map of all canals, drains, and water bodies in Chattogram should be created and regularly monitored using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drone imaging, and cloud-based monitoring systems. This would provide real-time data on project progress, silt accumulation in canals, water blockages, and facilitate quick solutions. Thirdly, if ongoing projects are not completed before the monsoon, contracts with the responsible contractors should be canceled, and financial penalties imposed. This will ensure no one dares to delay work and maintains momentum in implementation. Fourthly, public awareness campaigns must be launched regularly to educate residents on how throwing garbage into canals, blocking drains with shops, or using polythene bags contributes to city-wide waterlogging.

Civic education should be included from school levels, as public participation is crucial in maintaining cleanliness and environmental health in any city. Fifth, Chattogram's hills, canals, and natural reservoirs must be protected. Those who illegally occupy these areas, sell plots, or fill up canals and block drainage routes should face strict legal action - even if they are influential, no exceptions should be made.

The city's interest is greater than any individual or group. Sixth, future urban development plans should integrate modern technologies like rainwater harvesting, permeable pavements, and green corridors so that rainwater gets absorbed into the ground or stored in reservoirs instead of causing waterlogging. Seventh, an economic loss assessment report should be created to determine the financial damage caused by waterlogging, including losses in trade, education, healthcare, and the overall decline in quality of life. Presenting such reports in national policy forums will emphasize the seriousness of the issue. Ultimately, waterlogging in Chattogram cannot be solved by a single project. It demands institutional reform and societal change - active political will, strict administrative action, realistic engineering strategies, transparency and accountability in implementation, and above all, the conscious and sincere participation of the citizens.

Only when all these elements come together can we build a modern and livable Chattogram, where monsoon signifies the vibrancy of nature, not distress and disaster. Otherwise, every year, we will continue to witness the same old scenes - people wading through knee or waist-deep water, homes flooded, ambulances stuck, students missing exams, and the word "waterlogging" dominating media headlines. These images are no longer new, just new versions of old pain. The time has come to change this scenario - not with promises, but through timely and effective actions - for a sustainable, safe, and modern Chattogram.

The writer is a student, Department of Islamic Studies, University of Chittagong



LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Peace in Taiwan Strait relies on one-China policy
Silent N-coercion in the region 
Steps needed to stop on-line rumors from turning violent  
Let OBUs work at wider scope 
How societies continue to silence women across the world 
Operation sindoor and the cracking of India's supremacy
And then she hammered the last nail in Awami League's coffin…
How child poverty in Bangladesh pushes children toward a lifetime of disadvantage
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: [email protected], news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close