Ensuring a livable future for Dhaka
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
The on-going celebration of the 400 years of the history of Dhaka city is adding some pageantry and pride to the consciousness of its residents. There are not even some big and developed countries in the world today which can trace back to 400 years of uninterrupted and organized existence that Dhaka does as a historic city. Some historians claim that Dhaka's history as a sort of urban point in antiquity dates even longer than 400 years. However, even if it is accepted that the real flourishment of Dhaka as a city began under the imperial Mughals, the same points to its very livable characteristics that have continued to draw people to live in it over the centuries. The acceleration in the migration of people to Dhaka has been very fast since the independence of Bangladesh. From a population of over one million or so in 1971, Dhaka today is bulging with a population estimated conservatively to be well over 14 million.
Dhaka's greatest problem, today, is the number of its residents either living here on a permanent basis or temporarily. From a provincial capital in the Pakistani days, Dhaka has turned into the biggest city of Bangladesh in 37 years only. But this great leap forward in the number of people living in it, was not matched by the simultaneous creation of infrastructures and facilities to cope with the arrival of such a vast number in so short a time. Thus, Dhaka today appears to be very stressed in all respects. Its road spaces are found to be woefully short for the ease of movement of people on a daily basis. Housing is far short of need and the shanties pose an ugly challenge to the patches of modern houses that do exist. Filth and squalor are created by its huge and sprawling shanty dwellings to be found in all its parts. The planning for the city continues to be very poor. Unplanned structures are noted everywhere that defy the requirements of safety and environment. The once aesthetic sources of pleasure such as its surrounding rivers, are too polluted compared to the sparkling clean waters of the same rivers in the past. The public utilities in the city such as power and water supplies, are much short of the demand that keep its residents in constant torments. The traffic congestions -- noted every day -- cause immense losses in time, resources and spirit.
But notwithstanding these drawbacks, Dhaka is still not unlivable as the cynics would have many believe. It could become unlivable if it keeps on like this -- no regulation, no zoning, no moves to recover from various encroachers the sources that lend some salubrious effects on its environment. But the city as it is, still enthralls a vast number with its vigour, pulsation of life and living, its other dynamism and its cultural appeals. The people of Dhaka have reasons to be reasonably happy with their existence. There are plenty of other cities in the world where living conditions are too wretched compared to that of Dhaka. The quality of life is definitely not so hopeless in Dhaka, yet.
What, therefore, comes to mind the most as the 400 years of Dhaka celebrations come to a close is : the worry about Dhaka's future. The city has sprawled without proper controls thus far. Allowing this mindless drift to continue, will set it irreversibly on a path when salvaging it to make it livable will become very difficult. Furthermore, the creation of supporting infrastructures and amenities will have to be very substantially increased and made available to the present and future population of the city in an egalitarian manner. These are the challenges facing the policy planners. The next elected government must not waste any time in addressing the problems of the city in a very focused and dedicated way as it is more than high time to do so.
Dhaka's greatest problem, today, is the number of its residents either living here on a permanent basis or temporarily. From a provincial capital in the Pakistani days, Dhaka has turned into the biggest city of Bangladesh in 37 years only. But this great leap forward in the number of people living in it, was not matched by the simultaneous creation of infrastructures and facilities to cope with the arrival of such a vast number in so short a time. Thus, Dhaka today appears to be very stressed in all respects. Its road spaces are found to be woefully short for the ease of movement of people on a daily basis. Housing is far short of need and the shanties pose an ugly challenge to the patches of modern houses that do exist. Filth and squalor are created by its huge and sprawling shanty dwellings to be found in all its parts. The planning for the city continues to be very poor. Unplanned structures are noted everywhere that defy the requirements of safety and environment. The once aesthetic sources of pleasure such as its surrounding rivers, are too polluted compared to the sparkling clean waters of the same rivers in the past. The public utilities in the city such as power and water supplies, are much short of the demand that keep its residents in constant torments. The traffic congestions -- noted every day -- cause immense losses in time, resources and spirit.
But notwithstanding these drawbacks, Dhaka is still not unlivable as the cynics would have many believe. It could become unlivable if it keeps on like this -- no regulation, no zoning, no moves to recover from various encroachers the sources that lend some salubrious effects on its environment. But the city as it is, still enthralls a vast number with its vigour, pulsation of life and living, its other dynamism and its cultural appeals. The people of Dhaka have reasons to be reasonably happy with their existence. There are plenty of other cities in the world where living conditions are too wretched compared to that of Dhaka. The quality of life is definitely not so hopeless in Dhaka, yet.
What, therefore, comes to mind the most as the 400 years of Dhaka celebrations come to a close is : the worry about Dhaka's future. The city has sprawled without proper controls thus far. Allowing this mindless drift to continue, will set it irreversibly on a path when salvaging it to make it livable will become very difficult. Furthermore, the creation of supporting infrastructures and amenities will have to be very substantially increased and made available to the present and future population of the city in an egalitarian manner. These are the challenges facing the policy planners. The next elected government must not waste any time in addressing the problems of the city in a very focused and dedicated way as it is more than high time to do so.