Only 0.01 per cent work on the Chattogram City Waterlogging Mitigation Project is done in more than three months' time.
But the performance has satisfied the monitoring committee of the Tk 56.16 billion project.
The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) undertook the project to re-excavate 36 canals.
The Army Engineering Brigade has removed mud and debris from parts of four canals in the port city and restored their water flow.
The scheme is due for completion before 2021.
Housing and public works minister engineer Mosharraf Hossain at a committee meeting on Sunday voiced happiness at the implementer's performance.
The agency showed its performance through power-point presentation in front of committee members, stakeholders, experts and development partners.
Lt Col Md Rezaul Karim, who supervises the entire work being done by 34 Engineer Construction Brigade, briefed on the pre-work and post-work scenario.
The army component of the project is Tk 38.43 billion and they received Tk 1.2233 billion for the year 2017-18.
Mr Karim said 16 primary canals are now under work to free them of mud and debris followed by cleaning of drains and construction of drain-side roads.
"We're facing problems in drain-side lane work because of illegal structures," he added.
Meanwhile, the minister said illegal houses, shops, small bakeries and other structures along the canals and drains must be removed without delay.
Brig Rezaul Majid of the engineering brigade said building 40 sluice gates at the mouth of 40 canals will be useless if they are not supervised properly.
Work is going on 36 canals under the CDA project, but there are as many as 57 canals shown in the Chattogram WASA Master Plan 2016.
CDA chairman Abdus Salam, also member secretary of the committee, Chattogram City Corporation superintending engineer Rafiqul Islam and Chattogram Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner Amena Begum, among others, also spoke.
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