The Chattogram Waterlogging Mitigation Project will be completed by February next year, according to the Bangladesh Army.
Lieutenant Colonel Md Mohsin, the project director of the Army’s 34 Engineer Construction Brigade, shared the update at a views‑exchange meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
He said, “Since 5 July, Chattogram has recorded 546.6 millimetres of rainfall — the highest in 43 years. We were not prepared for such rainfall.”
The project director explained that their drainage model can handle up to 550 millimetres of rainfall. Despite the heavy downpour, only four to five points in the city experienced temporary waterlogging, and accumulated water receded within one to two hours. “We don’t want to call this waterlogging,” he added.
“Since 28 April, we have seen mild waterlogging at three locations. As those areas are low‑lying, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is raising them by two inches. Once raised, areas like Katalganj and Kapasgola will no longer flood,” he said.
According to the project data, work on Hijra Khal remains unfinished, while five of the six canals are 98 per cent complete, with only about 2 per cent of work pending. Overall, 98 per cent of the project has been completed. Mobilisation will begin in September, and by October to February, retaining walls and three bridges will be finished.
Mohsin said there are about 130 canals in the city. The city corporation has taken up a second phase to address the remaining canals. “If those are completed, the remaining 20 per cent of waterlogging will also be solved,” he said.
“The Army will jointly maintain the canals with CCC for one to two years, providing technical knowledge and training in equipment use. After that, the CCC will take over maintenance independently.”
To prevent re‑encroachment, retaining walls have been built to permanently mark canal boundaries. Service roads are being constructed alongside canals to allow excavators and dumpers to clear waste.
Tree plantation will be carried out along these roads, creating green spaces where residents can walk in the evenings and enhancing the city’s beauty.
“In old cities, canals and drains often disappear over time. When canals are dug or expanded in a dense city, buildings must be demolished, ancestral land acquired, and compromises made with residents. The planning committee may not have anticipated these challenges. That is why the city corporation entrusted the Army, believing it would be easier for us to execute.”
He said the project faced major challenges, including eviction of about 5,500 legal and illegal structures and land acquisition. He also expressed hope that by February 2027, once the work is fully completed, Chattogram residents will be largely freed from the curse of waterlogging.
