Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), two major government development agencies, said Chaktai Khal (canal) has no capacity to drain out all the storm water of the port city.

Both the organisations underscore the need for developing a proper drainage system for the city as proposed in the Chittagong Storm Water Drainage and Flood Control Master Plan of 1995.

The study area of the plan comprising 92sq miles has been divided into 10 drainage areas on the basis of physical characteristics, topography, catchments and routes of existing drainage channels.

The proposals were supposed to be implemented in five phases within the plan period of 1995-2015 at an estimated cost of Tk 750 crore, said the sources at CCC and CDA.

Seven years have been elapsed since gazette publication of Drainage Master Plan in 1999 with no visible progress for its implementation, they said.

Taking 1992 price as the base price, the consultant Binnie & Partners estimated an approximate cost of Tk 88.70 crore for the project in the first phase, sources said.

Under the Tk 50 crore World Bank financed project titled 'Environment Development Project' in the first phase, CCC could develop only a two-kilometre box culvert stretching from Agrabad to the Karnaphuli river at a cost of Tk 22 crore in 1995.

Due to financial and other irregularities caused the implementing authorities of CCC fail to release the rest of the money, leading to cancellation of the project, said the sources concerned.

Only a two-kilometre diversion canal stretching from Bakalia B Ed College to Razakhali bridge was constructed following the plan at a cost of Tk10 crore.

Since then some renovation and soling work of canal bed was done at a cost of Tk 25.50 crore on different occasions until 2006.

Yet the city dwellers could not find respite from the waterlogging as the work was very often delayed and caught up in the rains, making the dredging of the canal mouth near the Karnaphuli uncertain.

The canal silts up to overflow and flood the neighbouring areas, including the traditional business hubs of Chaktai, Khantunganj and Asadganj.

Waterlogging and inundation cause untold sufferings and huge losses of properties to the city dwellers even after a moderate rain at the very onset of the rainy season every year.

The city dwellers, particularly those living in the neighbouring area of Chaktai Khal, blamed the CCC for its failure to re-excavate, renovate and maintain the canal properly.

Acting CCC mayor Manjurul Alam held the neighbouring people responsible for freestyle dumping of household and other wastes that aggravated the situation.

He urged the government for dredging the canal mouth immediately and developing the drainage system as per the flood control master plan.

In this regard, sources at CDA quoting the 3rd interim report on the Preparation of Detailed Area Plan for Chittagong Metropolitan Master (CMMP) said with the increase of population and the vehicular traffic both CDA and CCC had constructed new roads and lanes while a number of canals remained as a long forgotten area where budgetary allocation was always poor.

Sources in CDA and CCC said implementation cost of the drainage system will be around Tk 923 crore as against the previously estimated cost of Tk 750 crore while the first phase of the work will cost some Tk 300 crore which was earlier estimated at Tk 88.70 crore.

Work for the drainage system at Sadarghat, Agrabad Commercial Area, Moheshkhali Khal, Chaktai Khal, Mirza Khal and Bakalia Khal was proposed under the first phase, sources said.

The work under master plan to be implemented in five phases included construction of three new primary canals and 30 new secondary canals to collect water from tertiary drains, rehabilitation of existing primary canals and five secondary canals, improvement of the existing secondary and tertiary drains and construction of 19 silt traps.

CDA Chairman Shah Mohammad Akhteruddin said a proper drainage system as per the master plan could not be developed for the city.

All the concerned authorities like CDA, CCC, Water Development Board and Chittagong Port Authority are required to be involved for implementation of the project, he added.