Chaktai Khal becomes big issue in city corporation polls
The Chaktai Khal is known as the sorrow of the port city.
Both Awami League (AL) backed Nagorik Committee candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) four-party alliance candidate Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin have already made a number of promises to relieve the city dwellers of grievances for the 5.6-kilometere canal if they are elected in the upcoming election.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Mohiuddin included the 'Chaktai Khal' issue in his 40-point election manifesto for the development of Chittagong to win the voters' supports.
He said "A sluice gate will be set up on the entry point of the canal to make it fit for plying boats again as well as bringing back the natural flow.".
His main rival Mir Nasiruddin, who was mayor for over two years, alleged that Mohiuddin Chowdhury in his 10-year tenure as mayor has cheated the city dwellers in the name of developing Chaktai Khal.
And Mir Nasir promises to bring back the natural flow of the canal and take steps for its development if he is voted.
No matter, many promises have already been made and many more will be made before May 9 election, the reality is that the fate of Chaktai Khal will not be changed much. And the sufferings of the people who live on the banks of the canal which flows zigzag through the prime locations of the city, will not end.
Illegal encroachment, erection of illegal structures and slums and random dumping of household wastes have caused an obstruction against the natural flow and release of water of the canal.
The CCC, very often, takes action and evicts encroachers but they come back in full force.
For the last few weeks, the grabbers have constructed many structures, mini slums and shops at the Chawk Bazar, Bakalia, Chaktai, Bohaddarhat and Khatunganj points of the canal but no one is there to take any action against them.
"As the city is caught up in an election fever, who will dare to annoy the valuable voters," said Ashraful Islam, a banker from Bakalia.
The rainy season comes as a curse for around five lakh city dwellers living on the banks of Chaktai. Even a moderate shower during the monsoon causes inundation in the adjoining areas. The people are worried again as another rainy season is about to come.
The canal has lost its original depth due to constant siltation and rampant dumping of garbage and waste over the years. It has now a depth of only five feet from its original depth of 20 to 25 feet 20 years ago. Huge money has been spent in the name of its excavation.
The areas along the canal where people suffer most are Chawk Bazar, Bakalia, Katalganj, Kapashgola, Bohaddarhat, Chandgaon, Patharghata, Chaktai, Khatunganj, Asadganj, Firingee Bazar, Sholoshahar and Muradpur.
The canal has a catchment of 6.5sqm. The catchments absorb 8.5 crore cft water in monsoon while its water releasing capacity is only 1.4 crore cft per hour. The remaining 7.1 crore cft of water mainly cause deluges, CCC sources said.
The Ministry of LGRD approved a Tk15 crore project for the CCC to excavate and concrete the canal bed two years ago to cope with the inundation in the future. But, the city corporation has so far received a very scanty amount and could do little with the task, sources said.
"Fund shortage has constantly kept us helpless to start development and remedial works," one official seeking anonymity said.
Comments