PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

HELEMUL ALAM

At least 98 spots in the capital’s northern part remain vulnerable to waterlogging from heavy downpours, though the city corporation spent crores of taxpayer money in recent years to address the problem.

Around Tk 650 crore was spent on development and maintenance of drainage systems in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) areas from fiscal year 2020-2021 to 2023-2024, according to DNCC officials. Yet, the residents of these areas continue to suffer from flooding triggered by heavy rain.

DNCC is responsible for overseeing dozens of canals stretching over 86km, along with 300km of primary drains and 1,200km of secondary drains, said a city corporation official.

Following the July mass uprising last year, DNCC saw a change in leadership. The new administration took some measures, such as cleaning canals and drainage networks in many areas, to mitigate waterlogging. But these efforts proved insufficient.

In late May, the inadequacy of the drainage system was exposed during several days of heavy rain, which inundated many DNCC areas, including Kazipara, Shewrapara, Green Road, Bhashantek, Kalshi, Paris Road, and most parts of Uttarkhan and Dakkhinkhan.

DNCC recently identified 98 waterlogging-prone spots across 40 wards where residents experienced flooding from heavy rain in May due to faulty drainage networks and structures. The spots include the road adjacent to Mirpur-10 roundabout; Mirpur-1 crossing; Paris Road; eastern part of Kazipara metro rail station; Paschim Matikata; Khilgaon Chowdhurypara roundabout; part of airport link road; Shaheenbagh Lane 10 and 12; Uttar and Madhya Badda; Starkul Road; Namapara and Bottala in Khilkhet area; road 1-9C and 9D in Uttara Sector-1 and road 5,6, 9-13 and 16 in Uttara Sector-4.

“We have not only pinpointed the affected areas but also assessed the causes and duration of waterlogging. We are now exploring possible solutions,” said DNCC Administrator Mohammad Azaz.

DNCC has cleaned existing drainage lines and is now evaluating its capacity to effectively drain rainwater in the identified areas, he added.

Experts attribute the persistent waterlogging to the indiscriminate filling of waterbodies and canals, compounded by outdated and inadequate drainage systems.

Adil Mohammed Khan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), said the primary cause of Dhaka’s recurring waterlogging is unplanned urbanisation, which has destroyed canals, waterbodies, and flood flow zones.

“In a liveable city, waterbodies and

SEE PAGE 5 COL 1