A city in its death throes

By all accounts Dhaka is in its death throes. According to the 2013 Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global Liveability Survey, the capital city of Bangladesh is the second least liveable one among 140 cities after war-torn Syrian city Damascus. The reality of Damascus is different because of the raging civil war in that country. On that count, Dhaka would have topped the list to earn the infamy of the worst liveable city in the world. The 400-year old city on the bank of the Buriganga too is at war with itself. But it is a different kind of war where the greedy owner of the golden duck is all set to kill his bird to get all the eggs at once.
Voices have been raised from many corners about the lack of sustainability of this mega city and both policy-makers and political leadership admit that the city cannot survive its unplanned growth and rising anarchy. But when it comes to taking a decisive move towards remedying some of the wrongs or action for overhauling obsolete systems, they stop short of demonstrating the courage and quality required for the purpose. The detailed area plan (DAP) admittedly had merit enough to take the bull by the horn. Although the plan has been approved, its implementation is yet to take place in the face of opposition from a powerful quarter known as land-grabbers (or robbers?).
It is exactly against this backdrop, a conference titled, "Agami Projonmer Dhaka: Aamader Karanio" (Next generation's Dhaka: Our duty) was held in the city early this week. Concerned experts have warned that unless appropriate measures were taken, there is every possibility of the capital's dying out in the near future. It will simply become a dead city one day. Indeed, there are examples galore in the history of mankind that cities have ceased to exist simply because of man-made blunders committed one after another. Extraneous causes have also led to extinction of cities. But it is the indiscretion together with greed that has been the prime cause of many cities' death.
A city of 15 million people -- one-tenth of the country's total population -- has only sprawled on its own without much following a master plan. Is there any city in the world of this size without metro rail service? The train service from Kamlapur railway station is hardly of any use for the majority of commuters. Usually inter-city trains, they cater to the passengers on long routes. In Mumbai, the main transport system is that of railway and a train enters a station at every three minutes' interval. Still the city fathers there have been planning short-cut train lines over the sea and a new kind of overhead trolley buses are waiting to be introduced soon.
Remarkably, Dhaka's population is larger than that of Mumbai with 13 million. And lo, the authorities are dillydallying over implementation of the monorail or expressway, the lion's share of the funding of which has reportedly been committed by Japan. How dismal the matter looks when the donor is ready to release the fund but the recipient cannot complete the formalities like the paper work for accepting it! Without metro train service, the city will simply fall head over hill. Already, office-goers have to spend four to five hours a day on way to work place and back home. This is nightmarish experience for the sufferers.
Intriguingly, there is no dearth of enthusiasm in constructing flyovers. Anyone can see where the misplaced priority is. Flyovers will hardly be of any use. The planners and policy-makers have bus as the main transport in their minds. They cannot think in terms of mass transport. A train can carry hundreds or thousands of passengers at a time and without obstruction. But buses take more space and carry fewer passengers. Unless this reality drives the message home that in a city of this size buses have to take a secondary role, the transportation here will never be up to the mark.
There is a need for thinking big in terms of development of the transport system. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in one of her speeches referred to turning all railway tracks into broad gauge ones. But this is just a passing reference along with other issues in a speech. The country has reached a stage where only broad gauge tracks will not do. A clear-cut plan has to be undertaken for introduction of electric train by phases all across the country.
If such trains are there, a large proportion of the city-dwellers will have no compulsion to live in the capital. They will be able to commute to the city from a distance of no less than 100 miles and still spend far less time than they are now required to travel from Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Gabtoli and other places at similar distances from the commercial or official hub of the city. An authoritative study has found that transportation of  farm produces take an undue longer time in this country than they take in other countries. It increases carrying cost and also prompts farmers and traders to apply chemicals in order to enhance shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Thus the nation becomes doubly loser.          
Then there is a need for giving a hard look at the city's development parameter. The DAP was definitely a well crafted plan for salvaging the city from its urban anarchy. Let the authorities give it a try with no further compromise. Infrastructure is a prerequisite for a city but unplanned land development and construction of structures at the expense of environment and water catchment area are simply foolish. Some of the powerful land-grabbers are asking for mortgaging the city's future to their notorious plan for its expansion. Already they have caused enough harm to the city's sustainability, let there be no further damage.
Another victim of the combined act of sabotage is the Buriganga on which bank the city stands. Other rivers around Dhaka are no less at the receiving end. In this act both land-grabbers and factories are a party to. Decades have passed since the issue of relocation of the leather factories came up for consideration but yet the task could not be accomplished as yet. Indeed sitting on issues has become a way of administration. Why? On such issues, the administration must act promptly in order to save the capital and the nation's future.
[email protected]