Waterlogging forever?
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argue that the city corporations need to adopt more effective planning and management strategies to address this issue.
Mujibur blamed the filling up of waterbodies, canals, and lakes, as well as the poor drainage network for the persistent waterlogging.
He added that climate change will bring on more intense rains for shorter periods, which will further worsen the situation.
“The city corporations need to enhance their capacities, develop skills, increase manpower, and implement institutional reforms.
“A master plan is needed to restore canals and waterbodies, and create a primary drainage system.”
Dhaka currently has a network of 2,211 kilometers of drains, with 961km in the south and 1,250km in the north. Before the city corporations assumed responsibility, efforts to stop waterlogging were primarily focused on open drains.
Now, the corporations are responsible also for canals and drains, requiring substantial financial investments.
In the last four years, the DNCC spent Tk 370 crore, and the DSCC spent Tk 360 crore. Despite these efforts, areas like Shantinagar, where around Tk 100 crore was spent, still experience severe waterlogging.
Experts said many canals, once crucial for drainage, have been encroached upon and narrowed over time. After independence, Dhaka had 57 canals, but this number has decreased to 26, most of which are in poor condition.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said some areas still face waterlogging due to waste accumulation in the drains, adding that strict action will be taken against those who dispose of waste into canals and drains.
DSCC Chief Executive Officer Mizanur Rahman said that habitual dumping of polythene and plastic wastes by city dwellers is another key reason for the poor drainage.
He added that ongoing development projects by various service agencies also contribute to the problem.
A 2019 study by Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) revealed that Dhaka has lost 4.38 percent of its waterbodies over the last 20 years.
Adil Mohammad Khan, president of BIP, said a lack of qualitative change in urban planning and management is a major reason behind waterlogging.
He stressed the need for public involvement in initiatives to address the issue.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, criticised the authorities concerned for not taking appropriate legal action against the housing companies that encroached lowlands.
She called for comprehensive plans to resolve the problem and urged the city corporations to focus more on nature-based drainage systems.
Sharif Jamil, member-secretary of Dhoritro Rokkhay Amra, another environmental organisation, said, “Spending money without identifying the proper reasons [behind waterlogging] leads to the money being wasted. No project can solve waterlogging problems without considering the importance of nature.
“If the projects don’t solve the problem, then the corporations should identify the reasons for their failure.”