Chittagong deluge

Chittagong, unlike the capital city of Dhaka, is fortunate to have its canals and water bodies still in place. So, water-logging problem of Chittagong could be solved with relatively less efforts and investment

Even a decade ago water-logging was virtually an unheard of phenomenon in Chittagong even after prolonged deluge. However as the latest experience shows, this is no longer the case. In the heavy downpour earlier in the week, the highest during the current monsoon season, most of the port city went under knee to waist-deep water and life was paralysed. The reasons are not too hard to find. The root cause of Chittagong's severe water-logging is its chocked-up network of 16 major canals which are supposed to flush out the rain water. A large part of these canals have been encroached upon by the local influential people, causing disruption to the normal flow of water. 
Filling up of the catchment areas, unplanned growth of the city and, to top it all, the illegal construction impedes the natural flow of rainwater and cause clogging of the canals that cater to the rain runoff. It is not only water logging which must be addressed with promptness, starting with the excavation of the dead canals, but all other services shall have to be geared up to make life more livable by making the efforts of all the service providers more coordinated and preplanned. Garbage is kept piling on the roadside or beside the drains and many manholes are kept uncovered. So the solid waste is washed into the drains after rain falls. Thus hundred crores of taka is wasted in the name of sewerage clean-up. It is vital to clear the drains before the rainy season.
Chittagong, unlike the capital city of Dhaka, is fortunate to have its canals and water bodies still in place. So, water-logging problem of Chittagong could be solved with relatively less efforts and investment, if all the relevant authorities made concerted efforts to put the existing canals in their normal and natural state. 
Another reason of the problem of water-logging is the absence of a well-knit underground drainage system. The drainage system has developed on a piecemeal basis along with their gradual expansion to all directions.  
While the successive governments have failed to put in place an integrated drainage system for both the cities, no efforts were made to protect the all-important canals and other water bodies. The negligence is exacting too heavy a cost now. The cost is likely to be even heavier in the coming days unless the government takes urgent measures to repair the damage now.

 

Chittagong deluge

Chittagong, unlike the capital city of Dhaka, is fortunate to have its canals and water bodies still in place. So, water-logging problem of Chittagong could be solved with relatively less efforts and investment

Even a decade ago water-logging was virtually an unheard of phenomenon in Chittagong even after prolonged deluge. However as the latest experience shows, this is no longer the case. In the heavy downpour earlier in the week, the highest during the current monsoon season, most of the port city went under knee to waist-deep water and life was paralysed. The reasons are not too hard to find. The root cause of Chittagongs severe water-logging is its chocked-up network of 16 major canals which are supposed to flush out the rain water. A large part of these canals have been encroached upon by the local influential people, causing disruption to the normal flow of water. Filling up of the catchment areas, unplanned growth of the city and, to top it all, the illegal construction impedes the natural flow of rainwater and cause clogging of the canals that cater to the rain runoff. It is not only water logging which must be addressed with promptness, starting with the excavation of the dead canals, but all other services shall have to be geared up to make life more livable by making the efforts of all the service providers more coordinated and preplanned. Garbage is kept piling on the roadside or beside the drains and many manholes are kept uncovered. So the solid waste is washed into the drains after rain falls. Thus hundred crores of taka is wasted in the name of sewerage clean-up. It is vital to clear the drains before the rainy season. Chittagong, unlike the capital city of Dhaka, is fortunate to have its canals and water bodies still in place. So, water-logging problem of Chittagong could be solved with relatively less efforts and investment, if all the relevant authorities made concerted efforts to put the existing canals in their normal and natural state. Another reason of the problem of water-logging is the absence of a well-knit underground drainage system. The drainage system has developed on a piecemeal basis along with their gradual expansion to all directions. While the successive governments have failed to put in place an integrated drainage system for both the cities, no efforts were made to protect the all-important canals and other water bodies. The negligence is exacting too heavy a cost now. The cost is likely to be even heavier in the coming days unless the government takes urgent measures to repair the damage now.