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3 days ago

Ctg city to recover 21 canals to address waterlogging

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CHATTOGRAM, Aug 20: The Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) will excavate and recover 21 canals to solve the water-logging crisis of the city.

Under CCC monitoring, a feasibility study has begun through a Dutch company to restore the canals, which are currently illegally occupied or filled in.

Responding to CCC request, the Netherlands Embassy in Bangladesh is funding this feasibility study. The timeframe for the pre-feasibility study has been set at four months.

CCC Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain said, "We have invited them (the Dutch organisation) for the feasibility study. It is very important to restore 21 canals."

He said that if the 21 canals are not restored along with the 36 other canals in Chattogram - currently being recovered under a mega project - the city's waterlogging problem could not be resolved completely.

The Dutch company is about to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the canals along with drainage management and solid waste management in all 41 wards of the city, according to CCC Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Muhammad Touhidul Islam.

The officials of the company said that they could complete the work in four months and they have already started the work.

On June 15, the CCC wrote a letter to an official concerned at the Netherlands Embassy in Bangladesh, sources said.

According to the Chittagong WASA Drainage Master Plan-2016, there are 57 canals in the city. The total length of the canals is 163.50 kilometres. Later, under the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) mega project adopted in 2017, a total of 36 canals are being developed. The length of these canals is 97 kilometres. On the other hand, 21 other canals, totalling length of 66.5 kilometres, remain outside the project.

The CCC project to excavate these 21 canals was undertaken on February 5 in 2022.

CCC invited tenders on August 23 in 2022, to appoint a consultant firm to assess the feasibility of 21 canals, sources said.

A total of 10 companies participated in the tender process at that time. A year later, Washo Engineers Limited was appointed by CCC.

However, the company, which was hired for Tk 3.4 million, refused to work in early 2024 and subsequently the second lowest bidder (CGISO) also refused to work.

According to WASA's Drainage Master Plan-2016, the 21 canals outside the mega project include Chatteshwari Canal, Ghat No. 15, Airport Canal, Rampur Canal, Balukhali Canal, Krishnakhali Canal, Kuaish Canal, Forest Canal, Baringachara Canal in North Salimpur and Dhamair Canal in Bhatiari.

Besides, there are 11 connected canals at the Naval Academy, Charpara, Hossain Ahmed Para, Patenga Muslimabad, Anandabazar, CEPZ Notun Para, North Halishahar, North Kattali, Latifpur and Salimpurareas.

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