Chattogram’s costly failure: Waterlogging persists despite mega drainage projects
Despite spending thousands of crores over more than a decade and launching multiple large-scale drainage projects, Chattogram continues to suffer from crippling waterlogging during monsoon.
The delays in project implementation, uncoordinated efforts, lack of urban planning and public indifference have turned the problem into an enduring nightmare for city residents.
In 2017, four major projects aimed at eradicating waterlogging in the port city were jointly undertaken by the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA), Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), and the Water Development Board.
These projects, with a combined estimated cost of nearly Tk 14,000 crore, were scheduled for completion by 2022. But, work progress now ranges between 60 and 80 percent.
The recent spells of continuous rain have once again left low-lying areas of the city submerged.
While some areas saw faster water drainage due to canal renovation works under the waterlogging mitigation project, many neighbourhoods, including Chawkbazar, Mehedibagh, Kapasgola, Katalganj, Sholokbahar and Agrabad still experienced severe inundation, causing immense suffering for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Despite warnings of possible landslides in the hilly areas of the city due to the heavy rains, no visible steps have been taken to relocate residents from risky zones.
According to Chattogram City Corporation sources, excavation work has been completed on 21 out of 36 canals.
Besides, regulator gates and pump houses have been constructed at the mouths of four canals out of the 12 planned under the project.
Project engineer and Chief Engineer of CDA, Kazi Hasan Bin Shams, said that waterlogging in the city has comparatively reduced as work progresses.
He, however, blamed non-degradable waste for blocking the drainage channels and creating obstructions.
Urban planner and engineer Delwar Majumder stressed the need for holding accountable the private and institutional owners of vulnerable hills, as failure to do so would keep the risk of landslides and casualties alive.
City residents, however, remain critical of the situation.
They blame poor urban management and public irresponsibility for the unending misery.
Despite some improvements, they said, the city remains under constant threat of flooding during peak monsoon, a hardship they have endured for years.
Over the last 14 fiscal years, CCC has spent Tk 324 crore under three successive mayors to tackle the problem.
The funds went into canal excavation, silt removal from drains, construction of retaining walls and procurement of machinery and trucks. On average, Tk 23 crore has been spent annually.
Yet experts argue that the money was not spent in a well-planned manner. Instead, routine work was done merely to show effort and the funds seem to have washed away—quite literally—without resolving the core issues.
They also argue that given the scale of the problem, the amount spent was not adequate.
In April last year, before the monsoon, many parts of the city were submerged twice in heavy rain. Again in June, large areas including the key Agrabad Access Road went underwater for four days, with boats seen plying the streets.
Most recently, despite the city being inundated again, faster water drainage spared residents from prolonged waterlogging.
According to sources, 22 of Chattogram’s 41 wards experience waterlogging during heavy rain and tidal surges, affecting over 3.1 million of the city’s 6 million residents.
The worst-affected wards include Chandgaon, East Sholoshohor, Sholokbahar, Chawkbazar, West Bakalia, East Bakalia, South Bakalia, North Agrabad, South Agrabad, Pathantuli, Boxirhat, Gosaildanga, and North Middle Halishahar — home to over 1.8 million people.
Other affected wards include Panchlaish, Mohora, West Sholoshohor, North Kattoli, Rampur, North Halishahar, Patharghata, South Middle Halishahar, and South Halishahar, with a combined population of over 1.3 million.
An analysis of CCC’s budget documents and annual reports reveals that former mayor A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury spent Tk 66.11 crore on waterlogging measures between FY2003-04 and FY2008-09.
His successor, Mohammad Manjur Alam, spent Tk 205.52 crore during his tenure. Mayor A J M Nasir Uddin, elected in 2015, spent Tk 52.53 crore in two years.
Despite Mayor Nasir’s pre-election pledge that waterlogging was a solvable issue, he couldn’t deliver on his promise.
Urban planners blame a lack of coordination among the various agencies involved.
Chattogram has 118 canals spanning a total of 182.25 kilometres, along with 710 kilometres of concrete drains and 55 kilometres of unpaved ones.
CCC receives far less than what is needed in terms of budget, with annual development implementation fluctuating between 17 and 35 percent.
Often, less important projects are undertaken for political reasons, while silt removal alone is insufficient to fix the problem.
A coordinated effort is urgently required, experts said.
During Mayor Manjur Alam’s tenure, CCC spent Tk 82.82 crore on drain and retaining wall construction, and Tk 21.97 crore on silt removal.
Planners argue that much of this work was for show, including the purchase of equipment, and that planned investment would have brought better outcomes.
Experts insist that implementing the 1995 ‘Chittagong Storm Water Drainage and Flood Control Masterplan’ is the only viable long-term solution.
The plan clearly outlines how to address the issue, and CCC has been assigned responsibility for its implementation.
Root Causes of Waterlogging:
Hill Cutting: Soil and sand from illegal hill cutting are filling drains.
Encroachment: Occupation of drains and canals for illegal construction.
Waste Dumping: Use of canals as garbage bins by residents.
Tidal Influence: Canal mouths have risen, preventing proper outflow into the Karnaphuli River during high tides.
Unplanned urbanisation, landfilling of low-lying areas and reservoirs, and illegal hill cutting have further exacerbated the problem.
The pipelines of service agencies running through drains block water flow. Being a city adjacent to sea and river, tidal surges often flood the city during high tides, especially when coinciding with rainfall.
Possible Solutions:
Fresh research and updated planning.
Regular dredging of the Karnaphuli River and demolition of illegal riverside structures.
Deepening and widening of roadside drains and regular canal excavation.
Strict prohibition on filling waterbodies and ponds.
Improved waste management to prevent garbage from entering canals.
Identification and removal of drainage obstacles.
Construction of new canals and straightening of existing ones.
Installation of silt traps to block hill sediments.
Construction of tidal gates in low-lying areas near the river and sea.
Relocation of pipelines inside canals and correction of technical errors in drain construction.
Public awareness campaigns to prevent canal pollution.
Empowering and making local ward offices accountable for drainage issues.
Experts insist there is no alternative to fully implementing the Drainage Masterplan. As considerable time has passed since its formulation, it now requires review and updates.
All relevant agencies including CDA, the Port Authority, WASA, and the Water Development Board must act in coordination under the leadership of CCC. With the current budget and capacity, CCC alone cannot bear the burden of solving this complex problem.
Interim Government’s Silver Lining:
Hope emerged earlier this year when the interim government took the issue seriously. On January 19, four advisers -- Syeda Rizwana Hasan (Environment and Water Resources), Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan (Road Transport and Bridges), Faruk-e-Azam (Disaster Management), and Adilur Rahman Khan (Housing and Public Works)-- visited the port city to assess the situation.
After visiting key canals and drains, they launched eight short-term initiatives. As a result, some areas saw improvement in drainage and recent heavy rains caused comparatively less flooding in those places.
CCC Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain, however, said a complete solution across the city will require at least another year to one and a half years.