KCC Intensifies Efforts to Eliminate Waterlogging in Khulna

The Khulna City Corporation (KCC) is making significant progress in its Waterlogging Removal Implementation Project, aiming to free the city from chronic water stagnation issues and improve urban drainage systems.

Under this initiative, KCC is rapidly constructing roads, drainage networks, sluice gates, and pump houses to ensure efficient water flow in canals and the Moyur River, according to KCC officials.

Major Progress in Drainage and Road Construction

• 130 kilometers of drainage systems have already been completed, with the remaining 35 kilometers expected to be finished next month.
• 270 kilometers of roads have been constructed, with 14 kilometers set for completion by February and the last 1.5 kilometers by March, at a cost of Tk 648.08 crore.
• The entire drainage project, spanning 165 kilometers, is progressing steadily and is set to conclude by June 2025 at a total cost of Tk 823.76 crore.

Canal and Sluice Gate Development

• Excavation of 10 out of 23 canals and dredging of the Moyur River have been completed at a cost of Tk 36 crore.
• 50% of six sluice gates have been constructed, with the remaining work scheduled for completion by April.

Challenges and Coordination Efforts

KCC’s Chief Engineer Moshiuzzaman Khan confirmed that all construction work, including roads, drainage, sluice gates, and pump houses, is progressing rapidly. However, some contractors abandoned their projects after August 5, 2024, causing temporary setbacks.

Shaikh Ashrafuzzaman, President of the Greater Khulna Development Action Coordination Committee (GKDACC), noted that despite multiple efforts over the past 15 years, the waterlogging problem persists during the monsoon season. Previous initiatives, including the Tk 65 crore Urban Development Project (2013) and a separate waterlogging removal project in 2018, failed to provide a long-term solution.

He emphasized the need for collaboration with the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and other government agencies to ensure a comprehensive resolution to the issue.

City residents remain hopeful that upon completion of the ongoing project, they will finally see relief from Khulna’s long-standing waterlogging crisis.