Combined effort must
A collective effort by all parties involved is necessary to prevent waterlogging in Chittagong city due to tidal water, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday.
The speakers emphasised the need for preserving water bodies, excavating existing canals and freeing them from grabbers, introducing sluice gates on canals, implementing the master plan, and creating public awareness on not dumping garbage in the canals to prevent waterlogging.
They were addressing the roundtable on distressed lives of citizens due to tidal water organised by the Bangla daily Prothom Alo at its Chittagong office. Sohrab Hossain, joint editor of the newspaper, moderated the programme.
Salma Akter, headmistress of Agrabad Mohila College, said after rainfall, the roads in Agrabad area become submerged in water.
“The students and their guardians, and residents there suffer due to waterlogging,” she said.
Engineer Ali Ashraf, also the town planner, said encroachment of water bodies is one of the main reasons of waterlogging.
Engineer Delwar Hossain Mojumder urged the mayor to take an initiative and combine the efforts of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Water Development Board (WDB), Chittagong Water and Sewerage Authority, and the city corporation to solve the problem.
Abdus Salam, chairman of CDA, said the master plan will be revised as it was formulated 19 years ago.
Mayor M Monjur Alam said as winter was approaching, the city corporation would take immediate action to repair bettered roads in the city.
He promised to play the role of a coordinator in the combined effort to solve the city's waterlogging problem.
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