Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain has said they are working to build Chattogram as a clean city, green city, healthy city and safe smart city. They have already made 50 to 60 per cent progress in tackling the city's waterlogging, he said, and the main focus now is repairing broken roads and ensuring civic services.

He made the remarks as chief guest at the inauguration of a greening programme at Biplob Udyan at 2 No Gate in the city on 25 September.

Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said Biplob Udyan is a historic place, where martyred President Ziaur Rahman declared the Liberation War on 25 March 1971 with the words "We revolt". It will therefore be laid out as a clean green park on the model of Ramna Park, where people of all ages, from children to adults, can spend their leisure time. Martyred President Ziaur Rahman's declaration of independence will also be preserved in digital form so the new generation can learn the history.

He warned that any obstruction of development work in the park would be treated as acting against the public interest and legal action would be taken.

The mayor said the use of plastic and polythene in Chattogram has risen abnormally, polluting the environment and seriously harming the Karnaphuli river. A door-to-door waste collection project had been launched to tackle this, but it is being reconsidered because of public reluctance and complaints. It will be relaunched if people willingly agree.

He added that a file for buying a new landfill to solve Chattogram's waste management crisis is being processed. There is still no sustainable solution to waste management in Chattogram, he said; if a waste-to-energy project is implemented, electricity, fertiliser and other resources can be produced from rubbish.

Saying Chattogram needs a city government for its development, the mayor said its importance is immense and there is no alternative to it. Planned development is possible if all service agencies work under one city government. "We want to build a modern and sustainable Chattogram by ensuring citizens' basic services. With a city government, planned urbanisation, sustainable development and civic services will be easier to ensure."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.