Raised roads, sinking homes: 3-foot elevation deepens flood woes in Ctg city
For the past two decades, CCC has routinely raised roads in low-lying areas as a primary strategy to mitigate urban flooding. However, many older homes built in those neighbourhoods, particularly in Shah Waliullah, now find their ground floors sinking below street level
Highlights:
- CCC raising Shah Waliullah road by three feet, costing Tk1.7 crore
- Decades of road elevation worsen flooding for older, low-lying homes
- Residents say poor drainage, not road height, causes waterlogging
- Elevated roads trap water, bury cross-drains, experts warn
- CCC defends project as aligning with main drainage canal design
- City spent Tk500 crore recently on road repairs and elevations
The Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is raising road levels by nearly three feet across a one-kilometre stretch in the Shah Waliullah residential area. The project, which includes constructing a bridge over a large drainage canal and other associated works, is costing approximately Tk1.7 crore.
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For the past two decades, CCC has routinely raised roads in low-lying areas as a primary strategy to mitigate urban flooding. However, many older homes built in those neighbourhoods, particularly in Shah Waliullah, now find their ground floors sinking below street level.
While road elevation has offered temporary relief from flooding, residents say it has worsened water intrusion during rains, with ground floors now more prone to flooding due to raised road levels.
In some cases, garages and entrances have sunk so far below the road that vehicles can no longer access them.
Residents question necessity of recent works
Local residents argue the most recent roadwork, completed just three years ago, was unnecessary.
"If the drains were properly maintained, water wouldn't accumulate," said one resident. "Raising the road again has caused substantial damage to many homeowners."
Mohammad Jane Alam, a homeowner in the area and an expatriate, told The Business Standard, "We built our house 15 years ago according to the original road height. The new road has been raised by three feet. My neighbour's house is now half-buried below the street. Cars can't even enter the ground-level garage anymore."
Furniture shop owner Mohammad Taizul Islam added, "Water only overflows when the drains are blocked. This monsoon season, we haven't faced flooding."
The problem is widespread. In neighbourhoods like Halishahar, Pahartali, Double Mooring, Khulshi, Dampara, Mehedibagh, Baklia, Chawkbazar, Katalganj, Badurtala, Bahaddarhat, and Sholokbahar, many older buildings now sit several feet below the adjacent roads.
Shops in some areas are practically recessed into the ground. In parts of upscale residential zones like Agrabad CDA and Panchlaish, ground floors are regularly submerged during the rainy season. In some buildings, 8–10 feet of staircases leading to the first floor have already been filled in.
Experts referring to unplanned urban development
Instead of addressing root causes, such as proper drainage, the city has opted for patchwork solutions like road elevation which may worsen the problem long-term, warn experts.
"Elevated roads are acting like dams, obstructing natural water flow," said Engr. Delwar Majumder, former chairman of the Chattogram chapter of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
"In many cases, cross-drains have been buried in the process, making the drainage system ineffective."
The construction is being carried out by contractor firm Adiha Enterprise. Its proprietor, Hossainul Islam Onik, stated: "We're executing the elevation as directed by CCC engineers and according to the wishes of most local residents."
CCC Executive Engineer Mahmud Shafkat Amin told The Business Standard that residents had formally requested the elevation work, which was carried out to align road levels with a key drainage canal under the flood control project.
"Without this alignment, consistent drainage would not be possible. Once construction is complete, slope adjustments will be made for affected buildings, and residents have already been informed," said he.
City's road network expands amid soaring costs
According to CCC data, the city currently has 2,747 roads spanning 1,195.5km, of which 859km are asphalt, 330km concrete, and 15.5km unpaved. The corporation funds road repairs and upgrades through two budget streams.
From FY 2018-19 to 2022-23, CCC spent around Tk155.2 crore on road-related works. This included Tk27 crore for maintenance of roads, drains, and land, and Tk128.2 crore for upgrading roads and footpaths. Additionally, Tk37 crore was spent on cleaning canals, streams, and drains as part of flood prevention efforts.
Beyond routine spending, the city is implementing a Tk2,500 crore infrastructure development project that includes the expansion of 769 km of roads under the banner: "Development of Airport Road and Various Roads and Important Infrastructure".
In the past two and a half years alone, over Tk500 crore has been spent, mostly on road repairs and elevation, according to officials.
For further details, CCC's Chief Engineer Md Anisur Rahman Sohel and supervising engineers were contacted but were not available for comment at the time of writing this report.
