Year-long waterlogging, endless misery

If one visits Government Teachers' Training College in Chawk Bazar area, they will notice a field inundated by water, entrances and ground floors of male and female hostels submerged, and hyacinths growing everywhere on the waterlogged premises.

According to the resident trainees, the campus remains waterlogged throughout the year. The problem has been persisting for over five years now, they added.

Mizanur Rahman, a madrasa teacher currently undergoing training at TTC, said, "Around six-seven years back, when I was doing BEd and MEd here, the situation was very good. We used to play football, basketball, and badminton on the college field every afternoon. Over the last five years, the situation worsened. Now the field remains waterlogged all year round."

"The drainage system is no longer working. Rainwater from last monsoon is still seeping out and inundating the campus, including ground floors of both male and female hostels," Mizanur added.

Thuichi Mong Marma, a senior teacher of Manikchhari Collegiate High School in Khagrachhari, said there was no waterlogging on campus back in 2009-10.

"Last week, I returned to the campus to attend a training programme and was surprised to see the sorry state there. We had to enter the hostel treading through the waterlogged entrance. Mosquitoes are breeding around the premises," he added.

Mitali Devi Chakma, a teacher of Uttar Mubachhari Nimno Madhyamik Bidyalay in Rangamati's Kaukhali upazila, said, "It's difficult to stay at the hostel amid waterlogging, bad odour and mosquito menace."

The TTC campus used to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the port city. It had a garden in front of the academic building, a large field, and a walkway around it.

The college offers BEd and MEd degrees, different short courses, and training programmes to teachers of different institutions as well as those aspiring to take teaching as a career.

According to officials, at present there are around 850 students and trainees pursuing BEd, MEd and training at the college, with most of them residing in the hostels.

Contacted, Dilruba Akter Chowdhury, acting principal of the college, said, "Five years back, we had elevated the roads and walkways to ease the movement of teachers and students in monsoon. However, as the surrounding areas became higher than the college field and hostel compounds, rainwater accumulated there and cannot be drained out."

"Now waterlogging has become a round-the-year problem for the campus. We have informed the matter to our higher authorities but they have yet to respond," she added.

Contacted, Zalal Uddin Chowdhury, superintendent engineer of education engineering department in Chattogram division, said they are aware about the problem. "We did not have budget allocation earlier. In this current fiscal year, we have the budget and the problem will be addressed accordingly," he said.