Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has launched a month-long program to clean drains in the port city.
The cleanliness drive began from the Dewanbazar ward in the city on Monday. A total of 215 tons of soil was dug up from the drains in five wards of the city on the first day of the program.
A further 220 tons of soil was excavated from different drains on Tuesday.
The CCC began the task ahead of upcoming rainy season aiming to ease the long standing water logging problem.
As part of the program, CCC will clean drains under 41 wards of the city in phases.
On March 2, the Local Government and Rural Development Minister Md Tajul Islam held a meeting with the concerned government agencies at the Chittagong Circuit House in this connection.
Panel Mayor Hasan Mahmud Hasni, Councillors Shaibal Das and Anjuman Ara, CCC CEO Samsuddoha and Chief Conservation Officer Shafiqul Mannan Siddiqui, among others, attended the inaugural ceremony.
While inaugurating the program, the CCC Mayor AJM Nasir said the cleanliness program has been taken up in compliance with directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The mayor also said that water-logging is a chronic problem in the port city and it is not possible to get rid of it in the current year.
"The clogged drains hinder the free flow of storm-water. The perennial water logging needs a planned drainage system and the corporation is working to ensure a planned drainage system in the city," said the mayor.
Referring to the Tk5616 crore-project styled 'Canal re-excavation, extension, renovation and development to address waterlogging in Chittagong city', the city mayor said that the project implemented by the Chittagong Development Authority did not progress as expected.
There are 57 recorded canals in the premier port city.