Rain stops concreting Chaktai canal bed

The cross-dams erected at different points in Chaktai Khal (canal) block passage of water, causing flood in neighbouring areas and waterlogging in the city. PHOTO: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

It causes immense sufferings to about five lakh people living along the canal as well as financial losses.

Tk 15 crore project for concreting the canal bed was taken in 2002 to ease waterlogging and inundation in the port city. The last phase of the work began last year.

The Chaktai along with 11 other canals, including Jamal Khan Khal, Mirza Khal, Hizra Khal and Chatteswary Khal, drains out the rainwater as well as sewer water from 20 square kilometre areas in the city and was considered as the backbone of the city's drainage system.

But, due to non-completion of the renovation and soling work, the canal becomes silted up to overflow and flood the neighbouring areas, including the traditional business hubs of Chaktai-Khatunganj.

At the same time waterlogging and inundation cause untold sufferings and huge loss of properties of the city dwellers even after a medium scale downpour with onset of the rainy season.

The work for concrete soling of four kilometers of the canal stretching Dewan Bazar C&B Bridge to Chaktai Bridge No. 1 was going on under the last phase.

Under the project re-excavation and construction of retaining walls on both the sides of the canal from Dhupinirpole to Khalerpole (Chaktai bridge No. 1) could be made so far.

Some 1000 metres of canal bed from Bahodderhat point could be concreted before the tender was floated for the concrete soling of the rest four kilometer of the canal in September last year, sources said.

The concrete soling, however, under the last phase started in January this year after an elapse of three months of six-month time (October to March) considered as the most suitable for construction work, said the sources.

With a view to completing the work, the project implementing authority of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) through fresh tender in March deployed more contractors.

The contractors engaged workers in some 100 groups to concrete the canal bed 100 feet each, said the sources at CCC.

They made around 100 cross-dams on the canal bed leaving a very narrow space for passage of water.

Meanwhile, the Chaktai Canal Bed Concreting Committee at a meeting on May 9 decided to continue the work despite rains amid opposition by several members of the committee.

As the work continued rain created waterlogging in the city due to so cross-dams on May 12, said Shahriar Khaled, a member of the committee. It prompted the committee to postpone the work, he said.

"And with the onset of rainy season it has rather become imperative to remove the cross-dams that now cause serious waterlogging and inundation in the city," said Shahriar, also general secretary of Chaktai Khal Rakkhma (protection) Committee.

The suspension of the work might cause the CCC an additional amount of Tk 60 lakh for re-excavation in October, he said.

The city dwellers blamed belated work order for suspension of the work at the middle and the aggravated waterlogging and inundation.

On the other hand, CCC sources said they could not start the work timely due to non-availability of fund from the government.

The CCC started the work with its own fund, a CCC official said. "We are yet to get the allocated money from the government," he added.

He blamed the dumping of garbage, stockpiling of logs, bamboos and consequent accumulation of mud at the outlet of the canal near the river Karnaphuli for the situation.