Most of the low-lying areas of Dhaka city go under knee-deep water even after a light rainfall, which severely disrupts the city's communication system. Thus the sufferings of the city-dwellers know no bounds. The calamitous weather during the last few days affected life and businesses in the city very hard.
Gradual disappearance of natural drainage system, caused by rapid population growth, unplanned development, encroachment on waterbodies, and rampant disposal of solid waste into existing drainage system have been identified as the main reasons behind water-logging.
Streets in Malibagh, Mouchak, Moghbazar, Shantinagar, Shanir Akhra, Mirpur, Shewrapara, Kuril, Gulshan, Motijheel, etc., went under rainwater last week. When rainwater receded, some roads got rid of the stagnant water temporarily. But when another spell of rain came, those went under water again. Vehicular movements were almost stalled, putting commuters to horrible sufferings.
Recent heavy downpours again exposed the vulnerability of the city's drainage system. In fact, water-logging remains a perennial problem for the city since the eighties. Major parts of the city get flooded for hours even after a short spell of heavy rains.
Indeed, inadequate and faulty drainage network, filling up of drainage canals and lack of proper cleaning of drains are some other reasons behind water-logging in the capital. The drainage system was not upgraded keeping pace with the rapid urbanisation while around half of the canals in the city dried up or have been illegally filled in and occupied over the decades causing water-logging in many parts during the rainy season. The retention capacity of the waterbodies has also been reduced due to lack of re-excavation work.
Meantime, Dhaka WASA has turned the canals of the capital city into narrow drains. The authorities are engaged in recovering and developing 12 canals under a World Bank project since 2008. The canals could not be recovered despite spending Tk 700 million on the project, according to reports.
The work of covering the canal banks with concrete has almost been completed. But this has narrowed the canals, and water-logging has increased in the surrounding areas as well. Illegal structures still remain on both banks of the canals. The concrete sidewalls of the canals block rainwater from flowing down to the canals, forcing the water into residential areas. There were about 50 canals in the capital 20-25 years ago. But now, there are only 26 canals, while the World Bank project deals with only 12 of them.
A study conducted by a BUET teacher says the width of the Zirani and Basabo canals in the city have been narrowed to 6.0-7.0 metres, while they should have been 20-30 metres. Capacities of canal should be increased by dredging them. Continuous vigilance is needed to protect the banks of the canals.
Garbage is piled up all along the Baishteki canal, which begins from Kalshi road and ends at Mirpur Section 13, flowing through the Sabuj Bangla residential area. Dirty canal water overflows in heavy rain and enters neighbouring homes, spreading skin diseases among the local people.
Experts say the construction of box culverts was also a wrong plan. The passages under these culverts are not cleaned leaving them choked up round the year causing water stagnation.
Dhaka WASA is the custodian of drainage system as the main lines of drainage are maintained by WASA and the surface drains of Dhaka city corporations (DCCs) are linked to those lines. A lack of coordination between the activities of WASA and DCCs (South and North) is hampering drainage management in many areas. In fact, the drainage system should be brought under one authority to make the system more effective.
According to reports, roads were constructed in Rayerbazar, Rajabazar, Gopibagh and Shyampur Kadamtala by filling up canals and constructing storm water and sewerage lines. Width of Segunbagicha canal, Dholai Khal-1, Dholai Khal-2, Debdholai Khal and Paribagh canal have been narrowed down for building box culverts. The water under the culverts remains clogged due to lack of maintenance.
However, no initiatives were taken by successive governments to bring the drainage lines under one organisation. Eighty per cent of the canals and waterbodies, the major means for water to recede, have been filled up during the last two decades. This has increased immense pressure on drains of the Dhaka WASA and the DCCs. It is necessary to monitor the drains all round the year but WASA has no monitoring system.
In many countries electronic sensors are used for monitoring the drainage systems of large cities. Since setting up this system in Dhaka would be costly, experts suggested forming a team to monitor the rainwater drainage lines round the year and forming of another team to clean them.
The horrible traffic situation that the city's residents witnessed over the last few days following a moderate-to-heavy rainfall demonstrates how poor the capital's drainage system is. The water-logging not only disrupted daily life in the capital but also took its heavy toll on trade and business.
Urban development planners stress the need for forming a task force to look into the city's key problems. They say if the existing drainage system is properly taken care of, the present water-logging or congestion could be reduced by 50 per cent instantly. The surface drains are filled up and blocked with solid waste, which the city corporations do not clean regularly, they said.
The merger of WASA and city corporations into one entity or bringing under one umbrella all the 52 service-providing organisations under seven ministries appears to be a viable solution to the woes of city dwellers. Otherwise, present temporary water-logging will turn into a permanent problem.
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