CDA to Remove Canal Dams After Heavy Rain Submerges Chittagong

Several hours of heavy rain on Tuesday caused widespread waterlogging across Chattogram city, prompting the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) to decide to cut temporary dams in two canals under renovation.

The affected canals—Hijra Canal and Jamalkhan Canal—were blocked as part of ongoing development work. Officials from CDA and Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) said these dams significantly slowed water drainage, worsening flooding in nearby areas.

Water began accumulating from the afternoon, first in the Pravartak intersection area, before spreading to Chawkbazar, Katalganj, Muradpur, Bahaddarhat, Agrabad, Jamalkhan, Rahmatganj, and surrounding. By evening, many roads remained submerged.

Commuters faced severe disruption, with vehicles stalled and pedestrians wading through water. SSC also struggled to return home, often walking through flooded streets.

In the ‘medical zone’ around Chittagong Medical College Hospital, including Golpahar and Pravartak More, water entered roads that usually remain unaffected. Patients and attendants faced major difficulties from to evening.

At Panchlaish, a dam built on Hijra Canal for culvert construction was seen blocking water flow, contributing to flooding in adjacent like Chawkbazar and Katalganj. The culvert work has been ongoing for about two months, with part of the road closed.

Agrabad Commercial Area also remained waterlogged into the evening, forcing office-goers to walk through.

The CDA is implementing a major project to renovate 36 canals to address chronic waterlogging. While most work is complete, renovations on Hijra Canal, Jamalkhan Canal, and parts of Chashma Canal are still ongoing.

CDA Chairman Engineer Md. Nurul Karim said the dams will be cut from Wednesday afternoon, and canal work will be paused until the dry season.

“We planned to remove the dams after completing more work, but sudden heavy rain forced us to act,” he said.

City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain, after visiting affected areas, said the ongoing canal work temporarily disrupted drainage but would improve the situation in the long run.

He expressed hope that 70–80% of the city’s waterlogging could be controlled this monsoon once the work is completed, expected by May 15.