Heavy rainfall has left large parts of Khulna city underwater, disrupting daily life and renewing concerns over the effectiveness of an Tk 823-crore drainage improvement project that was expected to reduce chronic waterlogging.
According to the Khulna Meteorological Office, the city received 184 millimetres of rain over the past 51 hours, inundating roads, residential neighbourhoods and low-lying areas. Knee-deep water was reported in many locations, causing major inconvenience for residents, commuters, students and transport workers.
Among the worst-hit areas were Mujgunni, Royal Mor, Tutpara, Jinnah Nagar, Daulatpur, Atra, Giltala, Dilkhola, Banargati and Sheikhpara, where floodwater also entered numerous homes.
Residents said the city continues to face severe waterlogging every monsoon despite years of work under a major drainage development project.
They questioned why repeated flooding persists after extensive canal excavation and drain construction.
Mustafa, a businessman in Mujgunni, said even moderate rainfall is enough to leave nearby roads submerged.
"We want the Khulna City Corporation to take permanent steps so that people no longer suffer every rainy season," he said.
Hamim, a resident of Karigorpara in Pabla, said his house is regularly flooded because nearby roads and drains were raised without ensuring proper drainage connections for surrounding homes.
Environmentalists also blamed the problem on poor urban planning.
Anup Kumar, a resident of Pabla Sahapara, said several natural canals have gradually been narrowed or replaced with concrete drains, reducing the city`s ability to discharge rainwater.
He stressed that restoring natural canals, ensuring regular drain maintenance and improving links with surrounding rivers would be more effective than simply constructing additional drains.
Easy-bike driver Hafiz said commuters continue to suffer despite massive public spending on drainage infrastructure.
According to the Khulna City Corporation (KCC), the city has around 1,165 kilometres of drainage channels. Under the Khulna City Waterlogging Mitigation through Drainage System Improvement (Phase-1) project, valued at Tk 823 crore, authorities have excavated canals and carried out extensive drainage works over the past several years.
Project Director and KCC Executive Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Masud Karim said the project has already completed 169 covered drains stretching a total of 147 kilometres.
KCC Chief Conservancy Officer Md Anisur Rahman said routine drain cleaning is continuing, although recent rainfall has slowed operations because mud removed from drains is being washed back into the system.
He added that the city currently lacks modern machinery to clean covered drains efficiently, but equipment for mechanised maintenance is expected to be procured under the ongoing project.
KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju said the waterlogging crisis is the result of multiple long-standing issues, including poor drainage planning, unfinished infrastructure, an inactive pump house on the Rupsha River and malfunctioning sluice gates.
He also said many residential areas now sit below the level of nearby roads because drain beds have been raised over time, making it more difficult for rainwater to flow out.
Manju said the current administration has been working continuously since taking office three months ago to improve drainage and urged residents not to dump waste into drains, saying public cooperation is essential to keeping the city`s drainage network operational.
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