Master Plan of Chhatak

Chhatak is an important pourashava of Sunamganj District with an estimated population of 43282 in the year 2011. It was established as a Thana Headquarter in 1908 and upgraded to Upazila in 1982. It was upgraded as a “C” class Pourashava on 1997. It has an area of 10.10 square kilometer. Comparatively higher net density (125 persons per acre in 2011) covering concentrated residential area and dispersed development in lower elevation agricultural lands characterize this pourashava. It has higher industrial activity from the past. Currently two important cement industries of the country, Chhatak Cement Factory and Lafarge Cement Industry, are located in the pourashava. On the influence of these industries, in the coming 20 years, as projections show, the net density of population will reach 201 persons per acre. So, a huge amount of population shall be expected in the pourashava area. This may reduce the livability of the residential areas there. Under such circumstances a Master Plan can help creating advantages for living and working in the pourashava that will indirectly help attracting more investments for economic growth leading to employment generation. The development activities are lacking an organized management system that results in poor outcome. Current development emphasizes only on road and structural development. Other utilities are neglected here. The proposed Master Plan will induce such development activities that will ensure proper provisions of utility services, urban services and with these gradually create social development. It will also ensure good and automated governance of the pourashava and ensure good collection and utilization of its resources and thus enhance the development activities. By the implementation of the Master Plan it will be ensured that the natural condition of the pourashava along with its agricultural activities should be preserved as much as possible.

The Master Plan is prepared in three tiers. First one is Structure Plan, then Urban Area Plan and finally Ward Action Plan. The Structure Plan provides the policies that will guide the future development of the pourashava. It views this pourashava as an important industrial town with ample service facilities to the town dwellers at the end of the Master Plan period. In the Structure Plan of Chhatak Pourashava 45.95% land will be kept as urban area and the remaining as hill, agricultural area and water body to support the future need for food and other agricultural products of the town as well as to facilitate the future drainage network. The Structure Plan proposes the restructuring of the organogram of the pourashava and inclusion of town planning department comprising five town planners. This will ensure the better implementation and monitoring of the plan. It also proposes the system of periodic review and updating of the plan and also the resource mobilization process.

Urban Area Plan consists three types of Plans; Land Use Plan, Transportation and Traffic Management Plan and Drainage and Environmental Management Plan. Under the Land Use Plan the future land use of the pourashava is proposed according to the fixed standards set during the interim phase of the Master Plan. Land Use Plan proposes 21.93% of the pourashava land to be earmarked under Urban Residential Zone and 8.37% under Rural Settlement. These two zones will form the future residential areas of the pourashava. Urban Residential Zone will include all the important residential activities and some supporting services. Rural Settlement will include the low dense residential area which is scattered and rural in nature. Another important zone is Heavy industrial Zone which will have 12.84% of the pourashava area. Under this zone locations for establishing new industries have been earmarked. Land uses like Commercial Zone (3.27%), Education and Research Zone (1.53%), Government Office (1.80%), Open Space (4.96%), Circulation Network (8.05%) etc. are also proposed in the pourashava. Under the Land Use Plan the development proposals to support the future needs of the people are also given. It proposes a stadium, three low income housing projects, one real estate housing development project, tourist facility, shopping mall, four local markets, nine ward centers, six primary schools, one high school, one surface water treatment plant, one slaughterhouse and many other important facilities.

In the Transportation and Traffic Management Plan the Road Network Plan is proposed. The transportation facilities are proposed here in this plan. In this plan of the Pourashava 35.87 km of road widening and 27.06 km of construction of new roads are proposed. The road hierarchy is also proposed in this plan. The proposed road network will comprise of primary road (80 ft., 100 ft and 120 ft. Right of Way), secondary road (40 ft. and 60 ft. Right of Way), tertiary road (30 ft. RoW) and access road (20 ft. RoW). The proposed road network and the transportation facilities along with the proposed management system will provide a good system of management to mitigate future traffic and transportation problems. The proposed transportation facilities include one bus and truck terminal and six auto-rickshaw/tempo/microbus stands at different suitable locations.

Under the Drainage and Environmental Management Plan the drainage network of the pourashava is proposed. This plan will analyze drainage aspects in the planning of the pourashava, study geological fault and lineament of the project area and its surroundings, study the existing water development, flood protection and flood control project in the area and their impacts in the Pourashava plan, present planning options for drainage of the future Pourashava area, study conservation of the natural resources like parks, open space, water bodies, existing ponds etc. and conserve place of historical, architectural and agricultural importance including natural fisheries. At present there is 10.85 km manmade drain in the pourashava and the natural canals and river cover 18.22 km. This network is not enough to support the present need and will not be suitable to support in the future. On the basis of all these conditions the consultants proposed comprehensive network of drains that comprises 12.74 km of primary drain, 36.68 km of secondary drain, 36.19 km of tertiary drain and 6.87 km of quaternary drain. One bridge, one railway over-bridge, 15 culverts and 121 box culverts are proposed in the plan to support the drainage network.

The third and final tier of the Master Plan, Ward Action Plan, is prepared including the proposals that will be implemented during the first to fifth year of the Master Plan period. Two or more Ward Action Plans will be prepared under this Master Plan to address the need of the people for the remaining fifteen year’s period of the Master Plan. This first Ward Action Plan, which is described in this report, addresses the urgent needs of the people of the pourashava and incorporates those in the Master Plan. It analyzes the immediate requirements of the people living in the nine wards of the pourashava and then provides facilities in a manner that it supports the particular ward in the first phase of the Master Plan period of total twenty years.

This is the first Master Plan of Chhatak Pourashava. It is prepared by LGED under Package – 6 of the Upazila Towns Infrastructure Development Project (UTIDP). It is expected that the implementation of the plan will induce higher level of development, ensure planned life, good community and better future.