Ismail Iman, Chattogram Correspondent:A section of the Chaktai Diversion Canal flowing along the canal bank in West Bakalia under Ward No. 17 of Chattogram city has turned into a heap of garbage. It is nearly impossible to distinguish whether it is a canal or a dumping ground.After assuming office, the mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) took several initiatives to clean the canal. Meanwhile, under a project of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works\u2014implemented by the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) and the 34 Engineer Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army\u2014the slow progress of RCC box culvert construction along the\u00a0 WAPDA Syed Shah Road section of the canal has created concern and anxiety among local residents.Like this canal, almost all canals and drains across the city have turned into dumping grounds. Due to accumulated waste, these waterways are no longer capable of proper drainage. Water hyacinths, various types of weeds, and disease-carrying insects have spread in the clogged canals, turning them into breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes.Local residents fear that if the waste is not removed quickly, waterlogging will become severe during the upcoming monsoon season. Compared to previous years, waterlogging was less severe last year due to close supervision by four advisers of the interim government and the sincere efforts of the CCC mayor, who ensured the removal of waste before the rainy season. However, ongoing waterlogging mitigation projects have led to soil being dumped into canals. Combined with accumulated waste, this is obstructing water flow. As a result, there is a strong possibility that foul-smelling polluted water will overflow during the monsoon and enter roads and nearby homes. Even a small amount of rainfall during the dry season last week caused water to accumulate in several areas of the city. The force of the water even caused part of the road at the important Probotok intersection to collapse. According to the City Corporation, around 3,000 metric tons of waste are generated daily in the city. Of this, a maximum of 2,200 tons can be removed through its own management, while the remaining waste ends up in canals and drains, contributing to waterlogging. At the same time, hill cutting continues across the city. During rainfall, soil washed down from hills fills canals and drains, and many canal beds have already become silted. The City Corporation states that the CDA has not yet formally handed over these canals, which is why regular maintenance work cannot begin. Local residents allege that due to blame-shifting between authorities, canals renovated at a cost of billions of taka are returning to their previous condition. Ultimately, the residents living along both sides of the canals will suffer the consequences during the monsoon.\u00a0 A major problem in waste management is the lack of public awareness. Many residents living near canals directly dispose of garbage into them. Although the City Corporation has taken various initiatives, these efforts have not proven effective. Meanwhile, the slow progress of bridge construction over canals under the waterlogging mitigation project has intensified fears of renewed waterlogging in the upcoming monsoon. Although RCC box culvert construction was scheduled to begin on January 17, 2026, and be completed by March 30, work on the pillars is still unfinished. Local residents demand the immediate removal of soil dumped into canals for project work and the rapid completion of bridges and culverts so that city dwellers can be freed from the fear of waterlogging.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ismail Iman, Chattogram Correspondent:A section of the Chaktai Diversion Canal flowing along the canal bank in West Bakalia under Ward No. 17 of Chattogram city has turned into a heap of garbage. It is nearly impossible to distinguish whether it is a canal or a dumping ground.After assuming office, the mayor of Chattogram City Corporation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15636","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bangladesh"},"yoast_head":"\n