STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The recent inundation of streets in Chattogram after heavy downpours was “water congestion, not waterlogging”, State Minister for LGRD Mir Shahe Alam said yesterday.

In a statement given in parliament under section 300 of rules of procedure, he said the water congestion occurred at five spots of the port city. Shahe Alam also alleged that reports of the port city being submerged were “utterly baseless, and imaginary. “Old photos from 2024 were circulated to spread misinformation,” he said.

The state minister said he visited Chattogram before joining parliament yesterday on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s instructions after Tarique, while answering a supplementary question in the House, had apologised to the residents of the city for their suffering.

“When I spoke to people on the streets, they said they were happy that the PM had apologised to Chattogram residents. They took it very positively, saying that compared to one or two years ago, waterlogging has reduced,” Shahe Alam said.

Chattogram has 57 canals, of which 36 are being developed under a Tk 12,000 crore project implemented by the army through the Chattogram Development Authority, the state minister said.

Work on 30 canals has been completed, while six are ongoing, according to him.

Temporary embankments or barricades built during the work caused the water congestion after heavy rainfall, Shahe Alam explained.

Chattogram recorded 220 millimetres of rainfall on Wednesday, leading to water congestion at the city’s Prabartak Mor and four other points, he said.

After joint efforts, the water was cleared within three to four hours, and by yesterday, there was no water on the streets, the state minister said.

A combined committee led by Mayor Shahadat Hossain was formed yesterday to take immediate action if such incidents recur, the state minister said.

Work on the six canals with embankments has been halted, and instructions have been given to restore water flow within five days, he said.

“For the next monsoon season, we can assure that there’ll be no possibility of waterlogging in Chattogram city unless there is extreme rainfall or tidal surge,” he added.