Is the Surma turning into river of sorrow for Sylhet city?

The election season is underway, and a stark warning from a candidate has set the tone. At a recent exchange meeting, BNP-nominated Sylhet-1 candidate Khandaker Abdul Mukta said that within the next 10 to 15 years, many areas of Sylhet city could become uninhabitable.

Why would a city known for its natural beauty reach such a point?

Mukta argues that the canals connected to the Surma River—flowing through the heart of Sylhet—are being filled up or illegally occupied. As a result, water flow has been severely disrupted. At the same time, the city is losing its natural capacity to absorb water. With most surfaces now sealed by concrete, rainwater can no longer seep into the ground and instead rushes directly into the river.

According to Mukta, the problem is twofold. Excess rainwater flows rapidly into the Surma, while the disappearance of canals prevents river water from draining out. The result is prolonged and severe waterlogging during the monsoon. If this situation is not reversed, he believes that within the next decade or so, large parts of Sylhet could indeed become unfit for living.

As a solution, Mukta emphasised the urgent recovery of the city's canals and the excavation of new ones.

Yet Mukta is far from the first to raise such concerns. For more than a decade, waterlogging has been Sylhet city's most persistent urban problem. Over the past 15 years, nearly Tk1,500 crore has been spent to address it, but the expected benefits have failed to materialise. Beyond waterlogging, unplanned urbanisation, indiscriminate hill cutting, wetland filling, inadequate public transport, and a shortage of safe drinking water have steadily eroded the quality of urban life.

The agony of waterlogging

Rain falls in Sylhet almost year-round—much like in Shakti Chattopadhyay's poetry. During the monsoon, it becomes relentless. While this season gives Sylhet its breathtaking haors, hills, forests, and greenery, it has also become a source of dread for city residents. Even short spells of continuous rain are enough to submerge large parts of the city.

The devastating floods of 2022 and 2024 were among the worst in recent memory. Since the 2022 flood, the waterlogging crisis has become even more acute.

Geography plays a role. Just upstream lies Cherrapunji in Meghalaya—one of the wettest places on Earth—where rainfall occurs almost throughout the year. In the past, such flooding was less frequent. In recent years, however, both its frequency and intensity have increased.

Experts point to several causes: heavy siltation of major rivers, particularly the Surma; widespread filling and encroachment of ponds, lakes, and haors in and around the city; unplanned construction in haor areas; and intense upstream rainfall over short periods.

Encroachment and filling of city drains, irregular cleaning, and poorly planned development have further worsened the situation.

Former councillor of Sylhet City Corporation's Ward 6, Farhad Chowdhury Shamim, said residents often dump waste—including polythene—into drains and canals, clogging water flow. In many places, drains are higher than the roads, preventing rainwater from entering them. Added to this is the silted Surma, which cannot properly receive city runoff, resulting in widespread waterlogging.

The Surma river in crisis

The Surma River flows through the centre of Sylhet city. Stretching roughly 249 kilometres, it is one of the country's major rivers and takes on two starkly different forms across seasons. During the monsoon, it overflows its banks and inundates settlements. In summer, water levels drop sharply, leaving behind sandy stretches.

Heavy siltation has filled much of the riverbed. As a result, the Surma becomes shallow during the dry season, while even moderate rainfall causes it to spill over. During monsoon rains, water levels rise rapidly, submerging nearby haors and crops. The river's source areas have also become clogged.

Environmentalists report that within a 32-kilometre stretch of the Surma's source area, 35 sandbars (chars) have formed. Urban waste—particularly plastic—has accumulated heavily on the riverbed, further reducing its water-holding capacity.

A mapping study by researchers at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology shows that in urban areas the Surma can carry only 321.35 cubic metres of water per second—far too little to cope with heavy rainfall.

Dredging has long been demanded, but with limited success. Because the Surma flows through two countries, dredging its source area remains stalled in the absence of a joint river commission decision.

After the 2022 flood, a Tk 50 crore project was launched in January 2023 to dredge a 15-kilometre stretch from Kushighat in Sylhet city to Dashgram in Bishwanath. However, because capital dredging was not undertaken and only scattered sections were excavated, the project delivered little benefit.

Canals, drains, and failed investments

According to Sylhet City Corporation, the city has 11 natural canals (charas) and 16 branch canals, all connected to the Surma, with a combined length of about 110 kilometres. In addition, there are roughly 970 kilometres of drains, around 650 kilometres of which are paved.

Yet widespread encroachment and filling mean that even light rain now causes waterlogging. Between 2019 and 2024, nearly Tk1,500 crore was spent on canal and drain recovery, but residents continue to suffer.

Former mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury believes that beyond dredging the Surma and restoring canals, Sylhet needs embankments—similar to Dhaka's—to prevent river water from entering the city during floods. He also notes that soil washed down from surrounding hills clogs drains and canals, making protective walls around hills essential.

Architect Ranjan Das, however, argues that unplanned development lies at the heart of the crisis. Despite massive spending, results remain invisible. Drainage capacity is inadequate, and connections between rivers and canals have not been restored.

More funds, same risks

Against this backdrop, an additional Tk499 crore has been allocated to tackle Sylhet's waterlogging problem. The project was approved on 23 December at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Sylhet City Corporation's acting chief engineer, Md Ali Akbar, said the proposal had been submitted long ago. With approval secured, planned drainage systems, culverts, and related infrastructure will now be implemented.

Vanishing ponds, wetlands, and hills

Places like Sagardighi Par, Laldighi Par, and Ramerdighi Par still bear the names of ponds—but the ponds themselves have vanished. Over the past three decades, more than half of Sylhet city's ponds have been filled.

According to Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Sylhet once had over 300 wetlands; two-thirds of them have disappeared. Many government institutions now stand on reclaimed wetlands.

Sylhet was also known for its green hills, which helped maintain ecological balance and reduce landslide risks. Over the past 15 years, however, more than half of these hills have been destroyed through illegal cutting for housing, soil sale, or construction materials—despite court orders banning such activities.

District administration data shows that in 2009 there were 1,025 hills in Sylhet; by 2024, only 565 remained.

Environmental activists warn that indiscriminate hill cutting has increased landslides and other ecological hazards, with risks likely to worsen in the coming years.

Unplanned growth, ineffective authorities

To create a planned and modern Sylhet, the Sylhet Development Authority Act was passed on 26 October 2023. Yet its activities remain limited. Although an executive director has recently been appointed, no visible progress has been made.

Meanwhile, the city continues to expand without planning. Building codes and development policies are routinely ignored, and there is no comprehensive master plan. Many projects undertaken over the past decade lacked coordination, causing more harm than good.

In 2023, Sylhet city expanded from 27 to 40 wards, but most new wards still lack basic urban infrastructure. Roads remain narrow, restricting access for fire service vehicles. In the event of a major fire or earthquake, potential losses could be severe.

Urban planners stress that the old master plan is outdated and that a new, realistic plan is urgently needed.

A city at a crossroads

Professor Dr Jahir Bin Alam of Shahjalal University's Department of Environmental Science and Engineering warns that unplanned urbanisation is steadily making Sylhet uninhabitable. Development is happening, he says, but without coordination or foresight.

Recently appointed executive director of the Sylhet Development Authority, Md Sadi Ur Rahman Javed, said the authority was created precisely to build a planned city. Acknowledging past inactivity, he promised to make the institution effective as quickly as possible.

The question remains: without urgent, coordinated, and environmentally sensitive action, will the Surma—with its raised riverbed—continue to define Sylhet as a city of sorrow?

Debashish Debu, Sylhet Correspondent. Sketch: TBS