Ctg Waterlogging: City mayor cries for Tk300cr equipment
Mayor Shahadat said, “Despite the crucial importance of equipment in resolving waterlogging, it has not been possible to purchase new machinery due to the government’s lack of goodwill.”
Expressing deep frustration over the persistent waterlogging in the city, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain said the issue remains largely unsolved for a lack of essential equipment worth Tk300 crore.
Speaking at a seminar on "The Role of Civil Society and the Media in Eliminating Waterlogging in Chattogram City" today (25 May), he blamed the government for its alleged lack of goodwill and discriminatory budget allocations compared to Dhaka.
Mayor Shahadat said, "Despite the crucial importance of equipment in resolving waterlogging, it has not been possible to purchase new machinery due to the government's lack of goodwill."
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"Budget allocations are not made proportionally to the population in Dhaka and Chattogram. Yet, everything is taken from Chattogram, from the Chattogram port, but when it comes to giving back to Chattogram, there is discrimination," he continued.
The seminar, organised by the Chattogram unit of the Bangladesh Public Relations Association, was held at the Chattogram City Corporation's conference room.
The city mayor claimed that with proper resources and equipment, 50 to 60% of the city's chronic waterlogging issues could be resolved.
He called on the media to uncover and report the underlying challenges, stating, "There is no need to hide anything. If information is concealed to please the Mayor, we will not be able to solve the problem. Therefore, uncover the real issues through investigative reporting."
Highlighting possible solutions, ASM Bazlul Haque, central president of the association, proposed forming a joint committee within the city corporation that would include public representatives, civil society members, and media personnel.
"This body would spearhead awareness campaigns, improve waste management, and collect data to help address waterlogging," he elaborated.
Bhuiyan Nazrul, bureau chief of the daily Desh Rupantor, presented the keynote paper at the seminar, chaired by Avik Osman, president of the Chattogram unit of the Bangladesh Public Relations Association.
Other notable speakers included Premier University Vice-Chancellor Prof SM Nasrul Qadir and Chattogram Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Anwar Pasha.
Participants at the seminar emphasised the need to curb hill cutting, bring privately owned hills under government control to establish public parks, and modernise the waste management system—possibly turning garbage into resources.
They also recommended stricter enforcement against illegal land occupation and proposed creating a "club culture" to involve the city's youth in civic engagement.
