An under construction drainage system in Dinajpur's Ghoraghat upazila is yet to reach completion, causing severe waterlogging crisis even in light showers-- although the project was supposed to be completed by December last year.
According to Ghoraghat municipal sources, a contractor company called Runa Enterprise began the works of two different stretches of drains in Ghoraghat. The estimated cost of the project was set to be about Tk4 crore by the project’s funding body Bangladesh Climate Change Trust.
As set by the funding body, the construction work from Kalitala to Karatoa was supposed to be completed in December of 2019, after it began in January of 2018.
On the other hand, the work from Bus Stand to Kalitala was supposed to come to an end in August of 2019, after its work began in September of 2017.
On a field visit, this correspondent found that the stretch of drain construction from Bus Stand area to Kalitala has reached near completion, but due to the road being on comparatively higher grounds the water fails to trickle down to the drain.
Moreover, the stretch of drain is yet to be connected to another stretch from Kalitala to Karatoa, although some work was done in the Kalitala-Karatoa portion. Since the time the portion was dug, it has been left abandoned and not cleaned for a long while, resulting in rubbish to pile up and contribute to intensified waterlogging.
Residents of Ghoraghat municipality and a few nearby villages have been suffering from waterlogging even after a light rain.
Jobayer Hossain, a university student currently staying at the Noyapara village of the municipality, said: “Our schools have drains. However, they were negligent in the work which has rendered the drains ineffective.”
Anwar Parvez, an engineer of the Ghoraghat municipality, said: "Altogether 70% of the work has been completed from Bus Stand to Kalitala and 50% of the work has been completed from Kalitala to Karatoa River. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we had to suspend our work for a while.
"Bangladesh Climate Change Trust approved our time extension request. The deadline for the project completion has been extended to December of 2021."
Nazrul Islam, owner of the contractor company, said: "The work has been delayed due to complexities in the time extension procedure. We have little work left. Hopefully all remaining work can be completed within the next year."