LGRD minister: Port city to be rid of waterlogging soon

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam has said the port city of Chittagong will be rid of its perennial waterlogging problem upon completion of the ongoing canal projects.

The minister made the announcement after holding a views-exchange meeting with concerned government agencies at Chittagong Circuit House on Saturday.

The Divisional Commissioner's Office of Chittagong organized the meeting addressing the waterlogging of Chittagong city and other ongoing development projects.

Tajul Islam, talking to reporters, said: "We have discussed at length, how to avert water blockage in the city during the upcoming rainy season. Chittagong City Corporation will launch a special cleanliness program in the city shortly to this end."

With a view to address the longstanding waterlogging problem in the port city, Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) is implementing a colossal project  of canal re-excavation, extension, renovation, and development to address waterlogging in Chittagong city.”

The megaproject undertaken with an outlay of Tk5,616 crore is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

Tajul said: "A committee has been formed to restore navigability and free the rivers of the country from pollution. I have been made chairman of the committee. We have already formulated a masterplan to this end. The committee will approve the masterplan in the next meeting to be held on March 14.”

The navigability of all 57 canals linked to the Karnaphuli will be restored to mitigate the waterlogging problem.

With Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Abdul Mannan in the chair, Deputy Minister for Education, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor, AJM Nasir Uddin, and Chairman of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Abdus Salam, were present at the meeting among others.

‘No compromise on eviction’

LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam has said that there will be no compromise on evicting the illegal structures on the Karnaphuli River.

“All illegal structures along the Karnaphuli River will be evicted,” said the minister while visiting the banks of the river on Saturday.

"The eviction drives have not stopped. No compromise will be made with evicting the illegal establishments on the river," said the minister.

Replying to a query, the minister said that there is no fund constraint to conduct the eviction drives.