The floodplains in Dhaka city reduced by 46 per cent in a period of 18 years between 2000 and 2017, an official at Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) said, analysing satellite images.
The capital development authority attributed the reduction to filling up of the land allegedly by grabbers and private owners.
Recently, it informed the higher authorities about the situation, seeking necessary steps to help preserve the floodplains for maintaining the city's environmental balance and ensuring proper utilisation of the land.
The detailed area plan (DAP) 2010-2015 showed 1,00,765 acres of land as the floodplain. The area included 74,571 acres of flood flow zone, 5,520 acres of water-retention zone and 20,674 acres of water bodies.
Talking to the FE, DAP (2016-2035) project director Ashraful Islam said that the situation of water-logging in the city would deteriorate further day by day if the present trend of land filling cannot be prevented now.
Besides, he said, area-wise urban flooding will occur and the underground water-level will deplete further, leading to a catastrophic situation.
It was found that in the river Turag and its surrounding areas, there was a total 9,000 acres of floodplains. Of the area, already 1,393 acres have been filled up.
In 2000, there was no land filling in Turag area, but 366 acres of land was filled up in 2017 under the full glare of the administration and authorities concerned.
In its report, Rajuk said that the process to save the areas has become difficult due to private ownership of the floodplains. Besides, some vested interest groups have been filling up the water bodies for various purposes.
When contacted, Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) general secretary Adil Mohammad Khan said Rajuk has shown those areas as floodplains in their Dhaka Structural Plan. But there is no incentive so that the owners will sacrifice their property in exchange.
"Rajuk always avoids their responsibility of preserving the floodplains on excuse of manpower shortage. I am doubtful whether they have any mechanism to control the development work in the floodplains or they have any intention at all," he said.
"It is true that Rajuk has shortage of manpower, but it is also true at the same time that they do not have any interest to stop it."
Mr Khan, also a professor of urban and regional planning at Jahangirnagar University, raised a question: "If they had manpower shortage, how are they implementing the huge commercial projects like Purbachal and Jhilmil?"
Rajuk should show its genuine spirit to preserve the flood flow zones, water bodies and water-retention areas by disclosing the list of the grabbers along with a report so that the government could take action accordingly, he added.
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