Ctg City Corporation begins cleaning canals and drains in 41 wards simultaneously

Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has started cleaning
canals and drains in 41 wards simultaneously to avert waterlogging during the
upcoming monsoon season. Today (19 April), Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain
inaugurated the programme by taking part in cleaning a drain in the city's
Jamalkhan Lichubagan area.
Speaking
at the inaugural ceremony, the mayor said that CCC has taken the initiative to
clean about 1,600 km of drains this year in continuation of last year's task.
This plan will be implemented in all wards in phases. "If the drains are
clean, the water will pass quickly through canals and fall into the river
without obstruction," he said.
He
said last year the city's waterlogging was reduced by 50%-60% through cleaning
canals and sewerage drains. He hoped that if the concerned departments
coordinate their work, the success may reach 70%-80% this year.
The mayor said due to the lack of awareness, city dwellers
scatter waste and garbage, especially plastic and polythene products, patchily,
which causes waterlogging and ushers diseases like dengue and chikungunya. He
asked the residents of the city to dump waste and garbage at the designated
places.
He
stressed the need for strict measures to curb the use of polythene and called
for an intensified drive against illegal polythene manufacturing factories. On
this matter, CCC will work with the Department of Environment and the district
administration magistrates. "Planned urbanisation is not possible until
city government system is enacted," he added. The mayor urged the
government to take effective steps in this regard.
CCC
sources have confirmed that a plan is underway to clean approximately 500 small
drains this year. Last year, 148 drains had been cleaned. The project will
carry out a portion of the current tasks, while the cleaning staff will
complete the rest.
The
mayor instructed the concerned department to remove detached soil after the
drains are cleaned. He also declared that security measures will be tightened
to prevent accidents in the important canals and manholes during the rainy
season. If required, fences will also be installed temporarily, he added.
Ten magistrates will supervise the entire task. At present, the regional
executive officers, engineers, and cleaning supervisors are contributing to the
advancement of the project.
The
mayor said that the government has already allocated Tk. 20 crore for this
project. He hoped that waterlogging in the city could be reduced significantly
if the total plan was implemented properly.
The
mayor's waterlogging adviser Shahriar Khaled, researcher Dr Abdullah Al Mamun,
executive engineer Imran Hossain Khoka, deputy chief of cleaning Pranab Kumar
Sharma, personal secretary to the mayor Ziaur Rahman Zia, Maruful Haque and
other local leaders were present in the program.















