Planned development to avoid public sufferings stressed

KHULNA, Apr 30: Administrator of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Nazrul Islam Manju on Wednesday underscored the importance of planned development, saying unplanned development eventually becomes a cause of public sufferings.

"All development works are implemented for the people and with public money. Therefore, proper planning before undertaking any development activity is very important," he said while addressing a seminar as the chief guest at Shaheed Altaf Auditorium of Nagar Bhaban.

The seminar titled "Urban Crisis and Response: Context of Strategic Planning for Khulna District" was organized by the Khulna regional office of the Urban Development Directorate under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

The KCC administrator said the information and recommendations presented at the seminar would help formulate future development plans for the Khulna metropolitan area.

He stressed the need for coordination between development initiatives and planning, saying only then it would be possible to ensure civic amenities in Khulna similar to those enjoyed in developed cities.

Manju also emphasised coordination among all agencies in implementing development plans and urged officials of the Urban Development Directorate to arrange another seminar involving representatives from government and private organisations alongside citizen representatives.

Speakers at the seminar said strategic planning is a long-term and visionary spatial planning process aimed at resolving existing urban problems and building a planned and liveable city or region for the future.

They said the strategy would provide a roadmap for the next 20 to 30 years, outlining how urban facilities and services could be ensured for citizens.

The speakers observed that when cities face crises such as uncontrolled population growth, water-logging, traffic congestion, climate change and natural disasters, strategic planning serves as a scientific roadmap to address those challenges effectively.

They said unlike conventional planning that mainly focuses on immediate solutions, strategic planning also considers future risks, helping authorities carry out rescue and rehabilitation works in a coordinated manner during emergencies.

The seminar was informed that disaster-prone regions like Khulna are regularly exposed to threats including sea-level rise, cyclones, tidal surges, water-logging, earthquakes and salinity intrusion.
Senior Planner of the Urban Development Directorate-Khulna Provas Chandra Kundu chaired the seminar.
KCC Chief Executive Officer Rajib Ahmed and Chief Engineer Moshiuzzaman Khan addressed the seminar as special guests.