Shawdesh desk:

Most of the drains and canals in the port city of Chattogram have turned into a death trap as those have no protecting slabs or retaining walls, thanks to indifference by the authorities concerned.

The risk of accident runs high during the rainy season when roads get filled with water, making residents unable to identify the underwater drains and canals along the roads.

At least 10 people, including children, met the tragic end of their lives after falling into drains and canals in the city over the last six years.

However, the authorities concerned remained indifferent to the problem, alleged the city dwellers.

The authorities blamed the ongoing mega projects and other development work for the situation.

The civil society representatives underscored the need for ensuring accountability and taking legal action against those who are responsible for such accidents to check the recurrence.

In the latest incident on Sunday, an 18-month-old boy, Yasin Arafat, fell into a drain adjacent to his residence in the city’s Rongipara area and went missing. His body was recovered after 16 hours on Monday.

College student Nipa Palit faced the same fate after falling into a drain amid heavy rain in Badamtal area of South Pahartalia on August 7 this year.

Three-year-old child Ojaifa also died after falling into an open drain in Nalapara area on April 9 this year.

Minor boy Kamal Uddin fell into a canal beside Sholashahar Railway Station on December 7, 2021 and his body was recovered after three days.

On September 27 of the year, International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) student Seherin Mahbub Sadia, 19, fell into another drain in front of Jacks Market in the city’s Agrabad area. Her body was fished out after three hours.

Vegetable vendor Saleh Ahmed, 65, slipped off and fell into waterlogged drain in the city’s Muradpur area and went missing in the blink of an eye on August 25 that year. He still remained missing.

On June 30 of the same year, CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Sultan, 35, and his passenger Khadiza Begum, 65, died after their auto-rickshaw fell into a canal in Sholashahar area.

Minor boy Al Amin was also washed away by water and drowned in a drain in the city’s Amin Jute Mills area on June 9, 2018.

Former government officer Shilabrata met the tragic end of his life after falling into a drain amid rain on July 2, 2017 and his body was found several kilometres away at Bakolia the following day.

Visiting city’s different areas, including Halishahar, Muradpur, Bahaddarhat and Bakolia on Monday, this correspondent found that many drains remained open and many canals have no retaining walls.

According to sources at Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), there are a total of 57 canals and 765km drains in the city. The CCC earlier identified some 19km areas as risky in a survey in 2021.

Abdul Khalek, a resident of Rongipara where the little boy Yasin Arafat fell into a drain and died on Sunday, said a good number of minor children, including school students, pass through the spot every day risking their lives.

The area turns dangerous during waterlogging as drains cannot be noticed by the pedestrians, he said, alleging that the authorities concerned do not pay any heed to the issue.

Missing Saleh Ahmed’s son Sadek Ullah Mahin said they even did not find the body of his father in the last two years.

Although the authorities concerned assured them of assistance after the incident, they did not keep their promise, he said, urging them to make the unprotected drains and canals safe immediately so that none else loses their near and dear one in future.

President of Chattogram city chapter of Socheton Nagorik Committee Advocate Akhtar Kabir blamed negligence and lack of accountability by the CCC and Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) for the situation.

Describing such deaths as murder, he demanded that legal action be taken against the authorities concerned.

Contacted, CCC Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam told the Daily Sun that the locals set a slab illegally for crossing the drain in Rongipara area where the minor boy fell on Sunday.

The boy might have slipped off the slab, he said, adding that they have instructed the departments concerned to identify the risky spots in the city.

Rafiqul also claimed that they have already put slabs on 70 percent of open drains in the city.

CDA is renovating some drains and canals under a mega project, he added.

CDA in cooperation with Bangladesh Army is implementing the mega project taken to address the long-drawn waterlogging crisis of the city.

Some 76 percent work on the project involving Tk 5,616 crore has already been completed.

Project Director Lt Col Md Shah Ali said work on 16 canals out of total 36 under the project has already been completed and they are now working with nine others.

“We’ve put slabs on some 302km drains after completing work. Besides, retaining walls were erected with the completed canals and railing will also be developed after completion of the rest of work,” he said.

“There’s no scope for anyone to fall into canals on which we’re working,” the PD said, adding that the canals will be safer once the work is completed.