Both Dhaka North and South City Corporations will take a move to form a taskforce, involving all stakeholders, to look after maintenance and management of the city's drainage system.
As part of the move, DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq and DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina soon to find out possible ways in formulation of a legal framework for the taskforce aiming to remove water-logging from the city.
"Without a legal framework, it will not work....we, the two mayors, would talk to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina very soon to look into possible ways in formulating a legal framework for the taskforce," Annisul Huq said at a roundtable meeting on Saturday.
DSCC organised the roundtable titled "Water-logging in Dhaka: Strategies and Solutions" in its auditorium in cooperation with Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) and Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA).
Urban planners, architects, civil engineers, green activists, government representatives concerned attended the meeting.
Mr Huq said city government is necessary. But it could not be implemented so easily. Involvement of many stakeholders is needed and a strong political will is also a must to implement the city or metropolitan government.
"But we can't wait until a city government is formed for Dhaka city.. a taskforce may open up the way to city government," he said.
DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon said water-logging is a curse of Dhaka. He expressed the hope that the taskforce would be able to resolve at least 50 per cent of Dhaka's water-logging before next monsoon.
"We will soon make a detailed plan as to how we can solve Dhaka city's water-logging and you must help us with your valuable advice and opinions."
He also expressed the hope that city government would be formed some time today or tomorrow. Without a city government, it is not possible to manage the traffic, drainage system, water service, waste management and many other urban daily issues.
Speaking at the meeting, DWASA Managing Director Taqsem A Khan said a utility service provider like DWASA should not be responsible for Dhaka's drainage system and water-logging.
"Dhaka City Corporation should look after the drainage especially storm drainage. We are ready to extend all-out support to the corporations," he said.
He said many 'wrong' attempts were made earlier in Dhaka including building box culverts covering Dhaka's canals, eastern and western bypasses, embankment circling Dhaka etc.
Urban planner Prof Nazrul Islam urged the two city mayors to take the helm of the proposed taskforce as they are the elected leaders of 15 million people.
He also asked them to consider the Bangladesh Army's involvement in the implementation process whatever in the new proposal.
Engineer Iqbal Habib proposed opening up the box culverts and reviving them into canals as they were.
Architect Mobasher Hossain urged the mayors to form a coordinated entity to tackle the city's water-logging, saying that a taskforce might be a good solution.
Professor of BUET's Civil Engineering Department Dr Md Mujibur Rahman, DSCC Engineer Tanvir Ahmed, Public Works Department Additional Chief Engineer Syed Azizul Haque and DWASA Deputy Managing Director SDM Kamal Alam Chowdhury presented papers in the roundtable meeting.
In the papers, they suggested forming a coordinated authority to solve city's water-logging.
They also stressed the need for creating awareness among citizens, regular cleaning of solid waste from storm sewerage channels and taking immediate initiatives to check encroachment of canals and water bodies.
bdsmile@gmai.com
DCCs to form taskforce to remove water-logging
FE Report | Published: August 30, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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