Water-logging has become a perennial problem for the residents of Dhaka city. It causes disruption of normal life and traffic movement, damage to structures and infrastructure, destruction of vegetation and aquatic habitats, and loss of income potential.
During the monsoon, even after a light shower, roads and lanes in different areas of the capital go under knee-deep water. If the rain lasts for only one hour it changes the view of the Dhaka city - most of the busy roads and streets become inundated. Due to stagnant water, people find it difficult to reach their respective destinations in time. Rickshaw-pullers demand high price for their service. Day-labourers remain confined to their homes as they hardly find work.
All previous attempts of the government for ridding the city residents of such nagging problems have so far proved futile. Irregularities and virtual inaction on the part of the local government bodies drag the water-logging problem on for years. The inundation obstructs plying of vehicles on the city roads, thus contributing to long tailbacks on most major streets.
The capital's Azimpur, Lalbagh, Jigatala, Hazaribagh, Mohammadpur, Kallyanpur, Mirpur, Taltola, Shewrapara, Kalabagan, Shukrabad, Indira Road, Rajabazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Moghbazar, Shantinagar, Badda, Baridhara, Natun Bazar, Sayedabad, Jatrabari and other areas are mostly flooded due to continuous rains. The city residents blame the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) for its alleged failure to solve water-logging problem.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on several occasions directed the Local Government Division and its associate bodies -- Dhaka WASA, Dhaka North and South City Corporations and other authorities concerned to immediately take steps to salvage the capital from water-logging during the rainy season. But all the agencies apparently failed to properly comply with the prime minister's directive. In fact, lack of coordination among RAJUK, DCC (both parts) and Dhaka WASA is the main reason for the growing water-logging menace and traffic congestion in the city.
The Dhaka WASA, to mention, undertook the Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Project in association with the World Bank in 2008 to reclaim 26 canals from grabbers. The project yielded limited results. There were originally 65 canals, but with the passage of time, the number came down to 43. Of the remaining canals, 20 have already dried out while many were filled up with garbage and the rest are gradually being encroached upon.
The Dhaka WASA signed recently a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Dutch firm with a view to removing water-logging from the capital. Besides, the Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation were reported to have been installing pipes as part of storm drainage system in different areas of the city.
On its part, Dhaka WASA has claimed that the water-logging is just a temporary problem. In order to drain out extra water, the pumps installed at different places operate after a heavy rain. It, however, put the blame on the city people for dumping waste in the canals and drains, that prevent the free flow of water in the city.
However, there are also some external factors that are responsible for water-logging in Dhaka. People are rushing to Dhaka city in thousands from rural areas to earn their livelihood. Finding no place to live in, they make makeshift slums all over the city. These slums are mushrooming by filling canals and ponds and obstructing the free flow of water.
In the circumstances, a close coordination among urban authorities and agencies, and collaboration between public and private sectors are needed for effective management and sustainable operation of the urban drainage system. Dhaka WASA needs to chalk out a comprehensible plan in order to solve the water-logging problem on a permanent basis. And a handsome amount of budgetary allocations should also be earmarked so that the authorities concerned can draw up their projects broadly and do not feel the constraint of resources.
The condition of the city was not so bad even in the seventies and eighties. By filling up of the canals, the drainage and sewerage systems have been destroyed gradually and now a large part of the city goes under water whenever it rains due to unplanned urbanisation. As a result, suffering of the city-dwellers beggars description.
Experts say the city's sewerage and drainage system is decades old which misfits its changed topography and demography. The system has almost collapsed. Moreover, most of the canals that used to flow through the city have been grabbed and destroyed. As a result, rainwater cannot flow out smoothly. To end people's sufferings by solving these problems, the missing canals have to be traced out and re-excavated besides modernising the drainage system in keeping with the changed circumstances, they opined.
With the increase of population by one million every three years, Dhaka will become the fourth populous city of the world by the next year. At present with over 13.3 million city-dwellers, Dhaka ranks eleventh populous city in the world, according to a survey report.
Nobody wants a city that lacks healthy environment, fresh air, free space to move and safe drinking water. Unfortunately, all these are scarce, tending to make Dhaka a city of nightmare. In such circumstances, the government has no option other than to draw up a comprehensive plan and implement it with utmost sincerity to make Dhaka a modern city with all facilities and amenities of the 21st century.
To this end, it is necessary for the government to take effective steps to recover water bodies and canals, prepare a master plan for drainage system, chalk out long- and short-term plans to solve water-logging problem.
szkhan@dhaka.net
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