Candidates pledge to free Sylhet city of water-logging

Waterlogging is another name for the suffering of Sylhet city dwellers. When it rains, the city streets are submerged in water. Homes and business establishments also go underwater. So, the issue of waterlogging topped among discussions ahead of the city election, slated on 21 June.

In this situation, if elected, the candidates are promising to build a waterlogging-free city. They also make a pledge to the construction of a city protection embankment and dredging of the Surma River to keep the city waterlogging-free.

The city dwellers suffer from waterlogging when it rains, although the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) undertook various projects worth thousands of crores of taka to solve the problem. The city has been experiencing waterlogging since the worst floods in June last year. Most of the areas of the city are submerged at that time.

Distinguished citizens opined that waterlogging will be a big challenge for the mayor and councillors to be elected in the upcoming elections.

Farooq Mahmud Chowdhury, president of the Sylhet unit of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, said despite spending a huge fund to deal with waterlogging in the city, the city dwellers did not benefit much. Therefore, making the city free of waterlogging will be a big challenge for those who will be elected in the upcoming election.

He stressed proper planning with experts before undertaking the projects, along with making the city dwellers aware of waterlogging.

According to SCC, in 2009, the corporation spent Tk11 crore for digging canals and constructing retaining walls and Tk48.5 million in 2012 for constructing drains in 27 wards to solve the city's waterlogging.

Since the election of Ariful Haque Chowdhury as mayor in 2013, the SCC spent Tk2.70 crore to free the city from water logging that year. In 2014, it spent Tk79.80 crore, and another Tk11 crore in 2015. From 2016 to 2019, they implemented projects worth Tk236 crore to address the problem.

According to the sources, in 2019, the government allocated Tk1,228 crore for the project to mitigate waterlogging and infrastructure construction. Under the project, the city corporation constructed 327 km of drains and 8 km of retaining walls.

Awami League mayoral candidate Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury in the next city election said, "Due to unplanned projects, city dwellers did not get relief from waterlogging despite spending a lot of money.

He blamed unplanned projects taken by the outgoing mayor for the suffering of city dwellers. He also accused the corrupt people of looting funds.

Anwaruzzaman pledged, "If I am elected, I will undertake projects with the advice of experts to solve the waterlogging. Besides, we will dredge the Surma River and build an embankment so that the city does not suffer major damage due to flooding."

Jatiya Party mayoral candidate Nazrul Islam Babul said Sylhet city dwellers become frustrated with Awami League and BNP mayors who served them in the last four terms. None of them could make the city free of waterlogging.

"So, people want change now. If I am elected, I will take realistic steps to resolve waterlogging," he added.

BNP leader and current city mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury did not contest this year's city elections due to party restrictions.

He said "I have taken extensive initiatives in the last 13 years to alleviate waterlogging. The city residents are getting its benefits. However, after the last flood, the ditches, canals, and drains were filled and there was waterlogging for a few days."

Moreover, mudslides from hills occur regularly due to heavy rains and fill the canals around the city. Besides, there is a disruption in the release of rainwater to the river as the Surma River is filled, causing waterlogging in the city, the outgoing mayor said.

It is not possible to solve these problems by the City Corporation alone. Other government entities should also be wok co-ordinately, he added.