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Uttara torn up

Traffic system collapses as Wasa digs up roads for 25km underground drain without alternative planning for commuters

Wasim Bin Habib
All hell seems to break loose in city's largest residential area Uttara every morning as school goers and commuters begin their daily journey to their destinations.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), to set up a 25km long underground drain, is digging the already dilapidated streets here again without offering commuters any alternative routes fortravel.
All streets in Uttara - -the constituency from which Home Minister Sahara Khatun was elected -- also experience tremendous traffic chaos due to absence of proper traffic control.
To worsen this situation, trucks and heavy vehicles ply on all Uttara streets round the clock. Though trucks and heavy vehicles are allowed only between Bpm to 6am elsewhere in the city, there are no such restrictions in place in Uttara.
Heavy vehicles become a nuisance to
everyone especially in the rush hours as these block even the narrowest lanes that commuters take to avoid traffic jams on the main roads.
Gridlocks are common scenario especially in sectors 3, 11, 13, and Azampur areas.
The condition of roads in areas where several busy schools are located, especially in sectors 10,11 and 13, is very poor as these have not been repaired for years.
The recent situation has been worsened by the second round of road works under a Wasa project to set up an underground drain to stop waterlogging in the area.
Wasa has placed dozens of large concrete sewer pipes on the main roads as well as some connecting roads at random, blocking traffic movement. Wasa in this round is digging the ground to install a six km longdrainageline, sources said.
In January last year, Wasa started the storm sewerage work in the Uttara Model
Town in the first phase and completed only seven km of the total work. At that time, Uttara dwellers experienced difficulties in movement in the area due to slow progress of the road works.
This work is being implemented for Garib-e-Newaz Avenue, Rabindra Sarani and different parts of sector No 7, 9, 13 and 14 in the second phase under a project titled 'Removal of Waterlogging in Dhaka'.
When completed, waterlogging in Uttara area will reduce significantly though the residentswill have to wait over a year to enjoy its benefits, Wasa officials said.
Local people, however, say they want the drainage system but they don't want any unnecessary delay in completing the worklikein thepast.
"This is indeed a good initiative and we want Uttara to be freed from waterlogging but Wasa should complete the work soon," said Jubayer Hasan, a resident of sector-7 of the area.
"We had experienced severe difficulties in moving around in the area during the first phase work as it took a huge time to complete it," he added.
He also said the Wasa has dug many roads, including one of the main thoroughfares named Rabindra Sarani, piled up the earth dug up on the roadside and also blocked a large portion of the road by storing large pipes on it.
People have been suffering from respiratory problems as the roadside earth is producing a huge amount of dust and increasing air pollution. Besides, movement on the road is now risky as it became narrower due to the digging, Jubayer said.
Moksud Reza, an official of a private university and resident of sector-14, said that Wasa has dug up the main thoroughfare ofsector-14 and stored its pipes beside the road creating difficulties in movement.
"In the daytime, a mist of dust hangs over the road from the earth dug up to make the drain," he said adding, "Now I need more time to go to work as I have to make a detour."
"Wasa is now setting up around six km long storm sewerage lines in different areas of Uttara. This second phase of work will take around one and a half months more to complete," said Waliullah Sikdar, superintending engineer of Wasa's drainage circle.
Waterlogging is a major problem in Uttara during die rainy season and after the entire drainage system is completed, the rainwater will be channelled into Abdullahpur canal, near Tongi Bridge, through this drain, a Wasa official said.