DIPAN NANDY

With the monsoon setting in, southern part of Dhaka city braces for a fresh spell of waterlogging, as the city corporation has yet to take effective measures to mitigate the perennial problem despite identifying 30 highly vulnerable areas nearly two years ago.

Since the detection of these spots in September 2023, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has relied on temporary solutions such as using water pumps instead of adopting a sustainable, long-term drainage strategy.

The waterlogging-prone areas include Paltan, Shantinagar, Bailey Road, Kakrail, Gopibagh, Kamalapur, Tikatuli, Agha Sadeq Road, Agamasi Lane, Abdul Hadi Lane, Eskaton Road, a part of Bangabandhu Avenue, the Secretariat, New Market, Bata Signal, Dhanmondi Eidgah Road, Jigatola, Green Road, Nazimuddin Road, Nawabganj Park, Azimpur, RK Mission Road, Abhoy Das Lane, and several parts of Old Dhaka.

In late May, consecutive days of rain inundated several areas in the city’s south, including Paltan, Fakirapool, Bangshal, Malibagh, and Shantinagar. In some locations, water remained stagnant for up to 20 hours. DSCC deployed pumps to drain the water, but the effort did little to ease the residents’ suffering.

With the Met office forecasting a rise in precipitation this month, experts warn that several parts in the city’s south may again face severe waterlogging if it rains heavily for several days in a row.

Dhaka city has a drainage network “At this

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