Photographs tell all of plight of waterlogging in Khulna city

Waterlogging in Khulna, the country's third-largest industrial city, has been a long-standing issue. 

Lack of a proper drainage system and improper waste management exacerbated the waterlogging in monsoon. 

The people's plight has been captured through the lenses of 31 photographers, a view from each of the city's 31 wards in an exhibition today (11 November) at the Shahid Hadis Park.

These photographs will be on display every day from 10am to 8pm until Wednesday (13 November). 

The three-day exhibition, organised as part of the social research method "Photovoice" under the Asia Resilient Cities project, aimed at addressing waterlogging in Khulna.

The project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is being implemented in the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and organised by BRAC. 

As part of this initiative, the exhibition that highlights the realities of waterlogging in Khulna was inaugurated this morning by Khulna Divisional Commissioner and Administrator of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Md Helal Mahmud Sharif.

Khulna Deputy Commissioner Md Saiful Islam, USAID Bangladesh representative Zahid Faruk, Director of Climate Change and Urban Development of BRAC Dr Md Liakat Ali, KCC's Chief Engineer Moshiuzzaman and KCC's Chief Planning Officer Abir-ul-Jabbar spoke on the occasion as special guests while KCC's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Laskar Tazul Islam presided over it.

In his speech, Helal Mahmud emphasised coordinated efforts to address the issues surrounding waterlogging in the city. 

Photo: Courtesy

Laskar Tazul said the youth must step forward to help solve the issue and improve waste management. "For a well-planned city, its infrastructure should be further developed through proper planning."

USAID representative Zahid Faruk said, "To make the city beautiful, environmentally friendly, and livable, both the KCC and the people need to beware and take action."

Liakat Ali emphasised combining scientific knowledge of climate change with the social context to resolve Khulna's waterlogging. 

Farhana Afroz, head of the Asia Resilient Cities project, said they are working in five cities across Asia, including Khulna, with a focus on sustainable development.

Over 400 people, including students, government and private sector officials, and other notable figures attended the inauguration of the exhibition today where they witnessed each ward's struggles depicted separately. 

In Ward 1, photographer Md Riyad Khan captured scenes of knee-deep water woes after slight rain and the mixing of sewage waste with rainwater. Similarly, in Ward 2, photographer Sheikh Nabiyyin Ahmed Niloy portrayed flooding in homes, fish floating in ponds, daily struggles of working-class people, and the misery of animals. 

Photo: Courtesy

In Ward 3, Prant Das captured the story of a day labourer named Abdur Rahman who lives with his family under a tin shed, and during the monsoon, his house went underwater due to leaks on the roof. In Ward 4, photographer Md Ashraful Islam Srabon documented the state of the city's small canals, which led to severe waterlogging in the area.