Chaktai canal sluice gate shields Ctg traders from Tk500cr annual losses

The recently operational sluice gate on the Chaktai Canal has brought financial relief to traders in Chaktai and Khatunganj, the city's major wholesale trading hubs, by mitigating long-standing waterlogging and tidal surge-related losses.

Since its activation last monsoon, traders have been relieved from fears of shop and warehouse flooding by rainwater and tidal waves, protecting businesses from annual losses of nearly Tk500 crore.

Md Mohiuddin, general secretary of the Chaktai-Khatunganj Aratdar General Traders' Welfare Association, told TBS, "During the monsoon season, our market used to incur losses of around Tk500 crore annually due to flooding. Since the sluice gate became operational, we have been relieved of that burden, which brings us immense relief."

In previous years, the absence of a sluice gate meant that cyclones, high tides, and heavy rains frequently flooded the markets. Traders recalled that during Cyclone Sitrang in 2022, goods worth about Tk400–500 crore were damaged in Chaktai, Khatunganj, and Asadganj.

A 2021 survey by the Chattogram Chamber and the Planning Commission revealed that over the past decade, waterlogging in Chaktai, Khatunganj, Asadganj, and Korbaniganj had caused losses exceeding Tk2,517 crore. In 2020 alone, damages surpassed Tk500 crore.

Traders now report that with the sluice gate in operation, their warehouses remain free from waterlogging, allowing business activities to proceed uninterrupted. 

This initiative is not only a blessing for traders but also a boost for Chattogram's overall economy, they opined.

Sluice gate project details

The aforesaid sluice gate is part of the "Kalurghat–Chaktai Road and Embankment Construction" project, launched in 2018 at the junction of the Karnaphuli River and Chaktai Canal. The gate measures 60 metres in length, 30 feet in height, and 12 metres in width, with a total construction cost of around Tk70 crore.

The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) plans to construct sluice gates on 12 canals under this project to mitigate waterlogging, of which 10 have been completed. Work continues on the gates at AK Khan Canal and Forest Canal. 

Approved by Ecnec in April 2017, the project's estimated cost rose from Tk2,310 crore to Tk2,779.39 crore, with the deadline extended three times to June 2026. So far, 82% of the work has been completed.

Project Director Rajib Das told TBS, "Once the project is fully completed, the risk of tidal surges will decrease, and waterlogging will come under control."

Narrow boat pass doubles transport costs

Despite the benefits, traders have expressed frustration over the narrow boat pass at the sluice gate. Previously, large boats could unload goods directly, but now only smaller boats can enter, increasing unloading costs from Tk15 per sack to Tk30 per sack. 

CDA engineer Rajib Das explained, "Usually, sluice gates have boat passes of around 18 feet, but considering the traders' needs, a 22-foot boat pass has been installed. It was not possible to make it any bigger."

A step forward for Ctg

While waterlogging has plagued Chattogram for decades, recent infrastructural developments, including this sluice gate, have brought visible improvement. This year, comparatively less waterlogging was reported during the rainy season. 

Multiple agencies, including CDA, Chattogram City Corporation, and the Water Development Board, are jointly implementing four major projects costing an estimated Tk14,349 crore, of which Tk8,312 crore has already been spent.