Staff Reporter, Chattogram: Despite 15 deaths caused by falling into open canals and drains, the authorities in Chattogram seem unperturbed. Most of the city’s canals still lack permanent safety barriers. After the recent death of a child named Seherish, temporary bamboo barriers were installed at the accident site, seemingly as a token effort by the concerned authorities.
According to locals, most of these bamboo barriers were placed by residents themselves. They allege that no significant steps have been taken by the authorities to install proper barriers. Consequently, residents living near the open canals of the city are forced to live in fear and anxiety.
Reports reveal that four projects worth 14,389 crore BDT are underway to address waterlogging in Chattogram. However, none of these projects allocate funds for permanent safety barriers along the canals and drains. The absence of effective safety measures has led to an increasing number of fatalities every year.
Hazardous Open Canals Persist
A field survey revealed that significant sections of canals like the Chaktai Canal, Hijra Canal in Kapasgola, Chashma Canal in Muradpur, and Mahesh Canal in Agrabad remain unprotected. While some portions of these canals have temporary bamboo barriers, many stretches remain dangerously exposed. For instance, temporary barriers made of bamboo and flimsy wood were placed at the spots where Seherish drowned in the Hijra Canal and her body was later recovered from the Chaktai Canal, five kilometers away. Other areas remain as hazardous as before.
Karim Maula, a 58-year-old resident near the Mahesh Canal in Agrabad, recalls, “We used to see boats navigating this canal, but fatalities were rare. Over time, the canal has shrunk to a drain. With the increase in population and lack of play areas for children, we live in constant fear for the safety of our grandchildren near this canal.”
Naim Azad, a lawyer from Chaktai, stated, “Over the past four years, at least 14 people have died after falling into canals and drains without safety barriers or slabs. Every fatality triggers a flurry of activity by the administration, but things quickly revert to the same dangerous state.”
5,500 Hazardous Locations Identified
According to CCC sources, there are 5,500 hazardous spots across the city’s open drains, sewers, and canals, covering a total length of approximately 19 kilometers. Of the city’s 1,600 kilometers of drains and canals, 1,300 kilometers are under CCC’s control, while the remainder falls under the CDA. Chattogram currently has 57 canals and 950 kilometers of drains, most of which lack safety walls. During moderate to heavy rainfall, areas around these canals are inundated with knee- to waist-deep water, making it impossible to distinguish between roads and canals. These unprotected canals turn into death traps during such times.
Lack of Accountability Hindering Progress
Professor Muhammad Rashidul Hasan, Dean of Architecture and Planning at CUET, remarked, “The project for canal excavation, expansion, renovation, and development, initiated in 2018 and scheduled to be completed in 2020, is still ongoing in 2025 due to a lack of accountability. CDA and CCC must ensure strict accountability to expedite these works; otherwise, projects will continue indefinitely, increasing the risk of fatalities for city residents.”
No Allocation for Permanent Barriers in Four Projects
The CDA is currently implementing two major projects: an 8,626.62 crore BDT mega-project for canal excavation, expansion, renovation, and development to address waterlogging, and a 2,779.39 crore BDT project to construct a road along the Karnaphuli Riverbank from Kalurghat Bridge to Chaktai Canal. Additionally, CCC is handling a 1,362.62 crore BDT project for canal excavation from Baripara to the Karnaphuli River, while the Water Development Board is implementing a 1,620 crore BDT project for flood control and water drainage development in Chattogram. None of these projects include provisions for permanent safety barriers along the canals.
Lieutenant Colonel Md. Ferdous Ahmed of the Bangladesh Army’s 34th Engineering Corps, also a project director, stated, “While canal excavation and soil removal are part of the project, constructing railings on both sides of the canals is not included. Nevertheless, we have voluntarily installed railings in some places.”
Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain said, “Deaths due to canal accidents are unacceptable. We have already installed temporary barriers at various sections of 36 canals. Wherever necessary, safety barriers will be installed. We are working towards a permanent solution.”
CDA Chairman Engineer Md. Nurul Karim mentioned, “CDA is working on 36 canals, and the Army is implementing the projects. Work on the canal where the accident occurred has not yet begun. Protection measures, including 1.5 to 2-foot railings, have been implemented in completed canal sections.”
15 Deaths Since 2017
Since 2017, 15 people have died after falling into the city’s open canals, drains, and sewers. The fatalities occurred as follows: one in 2017, one in 2018, five in 2021, one in 2022, three in 2023, three in 2024, and one in 2025. Despite these deaths, CCC and CDA remain indifferent, leaving the open drains and canals unprotected and without slabs or barriers, which has angered city residents.
ACC Investigates Oversight and Accountability
Following the recent death of a child in an open drain after a battery-powered rickshaw fell into it, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating possible negligence by CDA and CCC.
On Sunday, April 27, an ACC team led by Assistant Director Md. Riaz Uddin inspected canals and drains. He stated, “We found discrepancies between the proposed and actual railing lengths mentioned in the project’s DPP. Additionally, several irregularities have come to our attention. We aim to ensure accountability for both organizations.”
