‘WDB constructed sluice gates to be handed over to CCC’

The 21-sluice gate project under construction by the Water Development Board (WDB) will be handed over to the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), said State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad.

He said this at a view-exchange meeting organised at the City Corporation office on Monday on the progress in resolving waterlogging in the city and handing over the project to the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC).

The State Minister said that a tripartite memorandum of understanding will be signed between the Ministry of Local Government, Water Development Board and Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) to hand over the project.

Training will be provided to the officers and employees of the CCC so that the CCC can manage the project properly. Speaking as the chief guest at the meeting, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad said that record rains have caused waterlogging in some places in Chattogram and we have visited various important points to determine what to do to deal with such situations in the future.

“Our Honorable Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is aware of the record rainfall in Chattogram and that is why he has instructed me that the project of constructing sluice gates here, which is in its final stage, should not be disrupted for any reason and the people of Chattogram should not face waterlogging in the futures.

In this way, keeping in mind that even if we have record rainfall, that water should be drained quickly, he has instructed us to complete this project.”
He also said, we will hand over the project to the City Corporation.

There will be a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Local Government, Water Development Board and Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) regarding the handover of the project.

I have requested the Mayor of the City Corporation that since we have a one-year term for this project, the City Corporation should recruit and train the necessary manpower to manage this project within this one year.

We want the project to play an important role in resolving waterlogging in Chattogram. If these sluice gates are fully operational, waterlogging we hope that it will reduce to a large extent.

In his speech as the chairman of the meeting, Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain said that about 60 to 70 percent of the work of the Chattogram waterlogging relief project has already been completed.

However, about 30 percent of the work, including the work of various parts of Katalganj, Bahaddarhat, Chawkbazar, Hijra Canal and Bamanshahi Canal, is still pending in some areas, causing waterlogging.

He said that if the remaining work is completed quickly, the city residents will be able to enjoy the full benefits of the project.

The meeting was attended by Acting Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of CCC Mohammad Ashraful Amin, Chairman of Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) Engineer Belayet Hossain, Managing Director of Chattogram WASA Engineer Selim Mohammad Jane Alam, Member of Parliament for Chattogram-8 Ershad Ullah.

Member of Parliament for Chattogram-10 constituency Saeed Al Noman, Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police Hossain Mohammad Kabir Bhuiyan, Project Director of the Waterlogging Relief Project of 34 Engineering Brigade Mohammad Mohsinul Haque Chowdhury.
Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Chief Hydrographer Commander Md. Obaidur Rahman, CDA Waterlogging Relief Project Project Director Ahmed Moinuddin, Chattogram City Mayor’s Canal and Waterlogging Advisor Shahriar, among others.