Experts at a programme on Sunday said Dhaka has been developed in an unplanned manner due to poor institutional and professional capacity, and a lack of political empowerment and accountability.
According to them, the city is facing problems because of various capital intensive infrastructure projects for which it is not fit as there is no road hierarchy. Those projects are being implemented partially but when the projects are practically implemented, compromising proper amenities.
The experts highly recommended institutional reform and getting rid of infrastructure-oriented development concept so that sustainable development is ensured and integrated planning of transportation, land use and utility phase by phase and for a long time to make the city liveable.
Their views came at a webinar on 'Detailed Area Plan of Dhaka: An Issue Based Overview'. Bangladesh Institute of Planners organised the webinar where Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam took part as the chief guest. BIP general secretary Adil Mohammed Khan presided over it.
At the beginning of the webinar, DAP project director of Rajuk Ashraful Islam highlighted various aspects of the revised DAP (2016-2035).
Civil engineering department professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Shamsul Hoque said there are many capital intensive projects like subway, metro and bus rapid transit projects in the revised STP. But the road network of Dhaka is not suitable for any huge capital injection. It has been evident when practical construction has started. The BRT is now being implemented outside Dhaka from airport to Gazipur.
"We are unable to provide ancillary facilities for BRT and Metro as there is no space for station. It's an inherent problem of Dhaka that there is no road hierarchy like primary, secondary and tertiary. There are only primary roads and no arterial or ring road," he said.
The inherent problem of Dhaka is its bifurcated and unplanned road network which is so zigzag.
"We are in illusion with the imaginary document oriented infrastructure development plans. But no one ever thought of Dhaka. There were many DAP and plans by Rajuk which were never implemented.
Dhaka has become unplanned due to institutional and professional weakness. The authority cannot move very far with infrastructure," said Mr Hoque.
Professor Nazrul Islam said the vision of DAP is to make the city humanistic and improve the life and living standard of the citizens.
"You have planned Purbachal city for over one million people. But how many of them will come to the main city and how? Purbachal is not a suburb rather an independent city," he said.
He suggested keeping residential zones by defining for which class and the land size. Besides, it should be clearly mentioned in the DAP how and where they will increase the water-body.
Planner Chowdhury Zaber Sadeque said there are many positive aspects in the revised DAP like density zoning, redevelopment. Besides, there are specific residential areas defined in this DAP following housing policy that can meet the housing demand for next 50 years. But who will provide housing in those zones has not been mentioned. It should be clearly mentioned in the DAP in which area which income group will be provided housing by analysing the affordability.
BAPA general secretary Sharif Jamil said no plan of Rajuk can be successful without people's participation in the decision-making process. If people's participation is not ensured, Rajuk will fill up the floodplains as a developer and prepare DAP as a regulator simultaneously, he added.
Atiqul Islam said people come to him for playground, secondary transfer station and kitchen market as those are not properly designed. Rajuk has given permission to 17 buildings at the lakeview site at Uttara and one BDR market at Uttara 6 sector. In no way, it can be done, he added.
The mayor asked the planners regarding any dumping station in Uttara 3rd phase or Purbachal.
WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said the deviation of DAP takes place due to the interest of vested groups. He suggested that DAP should ensure 12 per cent water-body and adequate uncovered area for natural underground recharge.
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