CDA Chairman Engr Belayet Hossain is leading round-the-clock efforts to tackle Chattogram waterlogging during the monsoon, with continuous field inspections, drainage monitoring and canal maintenance across the city.

Ilias Ripon, Ctg Mail:

Chattogram, July 7: With intermittent heavy rainfall continuing across Chattogram, Chairman of the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA), Engr Belayet Hossain, has stepped up field-level supervision to minimise waterlogging and ensure the city’s drainage system remains operational throughout the monsoon season.

The CDA Chairman has been regularly inspecting ongoing drainage improvement projects, canals, culverts and other waterlogging-prone areas while directing engineers, contractors and project officials to respond immediately whenever rainwater flow is obstructed.

According to CDA officials, dedicated monitoring teams have been deployed across different parts of the city on a round-the-clock basis. Their responsibilities include inspecting drainage channels, clearing blocked canals, removing accumulated silt and waste, and ensuring that temporary construction barriers do not prevent the natural flow of rainwater.

Officials said the authority has also instructed contractors to maintain uninterrupted work despite the rainy season so that key drainage infrastructure projects are not delayed. Construction materials found obstructing drains or canals are being removed immediately to restore normal water flow.

During his inspections, Engr Belayet Hossain emphasised that protecting residents from prolonged waterlogging remains one of the CDA’s top priorities during the monsoon.

“Our priority is to minimise public suffering during the monsoon. We are not monitoring the situation from our offices alone—we are on the ground, inspecting the work and taking immediate decisions wherever necessary,” the CDA Chairman said.

He added that engineers and project officials have been placed on high alert to ensure that emergency responses can be carried out without delay whenever heavy rainfall creates localised flooding.

Officials said extensive canal cleaning and drainage maintenance had already been carried out before the onset of the monsoon. Large quantities of silt, waste and other obstructions have been removed from major canals to improve their water-carrying capacity, while drainage outlets are being kept open to facilitate uninterrupted discharge into nearby canals and rivers.

The CDA Chairman also reviewed the progress of ongoing drainage development projects that are expected to significantly improve Chattogram’s long-term flood management capacity. He instructed project teams to maintain quality standards while accelerating construction work wherever weather conditions permit.

Meanwhile, the CDA is maintaining close coordination with the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), the district administration and other relevant government agencies to ensure a coordinated response during periods of heavy rainfall. Officials said such cooperation has enabled authorities to address several localised waterlogging incidents more efficiently in recent weeks.

Project officials acknowledged that temporary water accumulation may still occur in some locations because of ongoing infrastructure development. However, they said rapid response teams have been assigned to restore normal drainage as quickly as possible whenever such situations arise.

Urban planning experts have long argued that sustainable drainage management, regular canal maintenance and coordinated urban development are essential for reducing Chattogram’s chronic waterlogging problem. CDA officials believe that continued investment in modern drainage infrastructure will play a crucial role in improving the city’s resilience against heavy rainfall.

Engr Belayet Hossain reiterated that solving Chattogram’s long-standing waterlogging problem requires cooperation from all stakeholders, including government agencies, local authorities and city residents. He urged people not to dump household waste or construction debris into canals and drains, warning that blocked waterways remain one of the major causes of urban flooding during the rainy season.

The CDA Chairman also reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to completing ongoing drainage improvement projects on schedule and said monitoring activities would continue throughout the monsoon. He expressed optimism that once the ongoing canal restoration and drainage development projects are fully completed, Chattogram’s capacity to manage heavy rainfall will improve significantly, reducing both the frequency and duration of waterlogging across the city.