Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain urged government  to bring the perennial waterlogging situation in Chittagong during the rainy season down to a tolerable limit to lessen the commuters’ suffering. He said this while addressing a meeting at Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) conference hall yesterday.  On August 9, 2017 the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved a project titled “Canal re-excavation, extension, renovation and development to resolve waterlogging in Chittagong city,” involving Tk 5,616.50 crore to solve the waterlogging problem in the port city. CDA is implementing the project.

The minister said nearly a third of the port city goes underwater every monsoon while its southern part gets inundated during high tides even with no rainfall. People have long been facing difficulties in the rainy season. Ten to 16 canals of the city will be identified and immediate steps will be taken to make the canals free from encroachment. CDA Chairman Abdus Salam sought cooperation from all including Chittagong City Corporation, Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA), Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Water Development Board in implementing the largest project to ameliorate the perennial problem of waterlogging. Brig Gen Rezaul Majid, DG l of  Bangladesh Army’s 34 engineering corps, Shahidullah Khandaker, secretary of Housing and Public Works ministry, AKM Fazullah, managing director of CWASA, Zafar Alam, member admin of CPA were present. among others at the meeting.