-Common ppl want relief from suffering
-When rained heavily, water entered many houses
-Accidents often happen on roads
-last nine years, at least 3,483 acres of water bodies and lowlands have been filled in and around Dhaka, according to BIP's survey
Neither DSCC nor DNCC can fully define the boundaries of a canal. On the contrary, billions of money have been spent in the name of canal cleaning and special operations.
- Mohammad Ejaz, Chairman, RDRC
Flooding occurs only when it rains in the capital. And this problem of waterlogging continues every year. There was heavy rain in the capital on yesterday morning. The rain caused waterlogging in many areas of the two metropolises of Dhaka. Some areas were knee or waist deep. The road in Mirpur's Kazipara area was almost waist-deep in water. In addition, flooding has occurred in various areas of Paikpara, Kazipara, Sheorapara, Mirpur-10, Farmgate West Rajabazar, Badda, Merul Badda, Airport Road, Turag, Uttarkhan and Dakshinkhan in Mirpur of Dhaka North City. Meanwhile, Dhaka South City Green Road, Kanthalbagan, Newmarket, Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board-adjacent Orphanage Road, Harnath Ghosh Road, Hosseini Dalan Road, Chankharpool, Kazi Alauddin Road, Bangshal, Motijheel Balaka Mor, Dilkusha, Arambagh, Fakirapool, Nayapalton, Nightingale Flooding occurred in Mor, Shantinagar, Kakrail, Rajarbagh and Jurain areas. Apart from this, 86 millimeters of rain fell continuously in one hour on the morning of May 11 this year in the capital, causing waterlogging in various areas of the city. Rainwater was accumulated on more than half a hundred roads and streets. In between, the Solmaid Chapra Mosque area of Vatara was flooded. There was also water in the Pragati Sarani in Nabunbazar. Dakshinkhan, Uttarkhan, Mirpur-No.10 to 14, Agargaon to Jahangir Gate on New Road, Khamarbari to Farmgate, Farmgate-Tezgaon Truckstand Adjacent Area, Kazipara, Sheorapara, Kalshi Road, Merul Badda, DIT Project Area, Mohammadpur, ECB, Noor Chala , Badda and other places were flooded for five to six hours. In Kalshi Road of Pallabir, there was standing water in some places, and knee-deep water in some places. In this, waterlogging was caused by rainwater in front of the 22nd floor Garments on Kalshi Road.
Also recently due to heavy rains due to Cyclone Remal, there has been waterlogging in New Market, Old Dhaka Bangshal, Nazimuddin Road, Dhanmondi 27, Sayedabad, Shanir Akhra in Dhaka South City due to heavy rain. Among them, most water accumulated in Bangshal and New Market areas. It stopped a lot of traffic. According to local victims, water has entered many houses during heavy rains. They have trouble sleeping at night. Common people want to get rid of so much suffering that has been going on in the city for years. Mukbul Islam, a local resident of Mirpur, said that we had to suffer due to flooding in Kalshi last year as well. This time the water accumulated in the rain a few days ago. It took more than ten hours for the water to recede from the road. But every year before the monsoon, the DNCC mayor talks about solving the waterlogging. But there is no initiative to solve this problem permanently.
When asked about the flooding, Public Relations Officer of Dhaka South City Abu Nasher said that there is flooding in the Newmarket area due to the closure of a drain passing through the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters and the connection of Dhaka Wasa water through another drain. Apart from this, due to the ongoing construction of the elevated expressway, there is waterlogging in Green Road, Motijheel, Kamalapur, Fakirapool, Paltan and Moghbazar areas, he said. Sources say that since 2001, Dhaka WASA started implementing projects worth more than Tk200 crore to alleviate waterlogging. Under the project, work has been started to alleviate waterlogging in 265 km area of the city by laying underground pipelines, box culverts, drainage of canals. The five-year project was extended to three periods and ended in 2010. Its construction cost increased from Tk 146 crore 59 lakh to Tk 203 crore 26 lakh. Even after completing such a big megaproject to alleviate waterlogging, there was no relief from waterlogging. Later, another Tk 180 crore was allocated from the government in 2010 to solve the waterlogging of the city. However, despite the allocation of such a huge amount of money every year, the city dwellers did not get any effective benefits. In December 2020, the responsibility of maintaining these canals was transferred from Dhaka WASA to the two City Corporations of Dhaka to free 40 canals of Dhaka from encroachment and rehabilitate them. The allocation of money for the development of drainage is not less. Despite all this, the city dwellers have not been freed from the sufferings of flooding, and there are also cases of loss of life. In 10 years, Dhaka WASA has spent about Tk 2,250 million to alleviate waterlogging. Apart from Dhaka Wasa, the two city corporations of Dhaka have spent about Tk 573 crore till 2020 for the development of the drainage sector. In the next two and a half years i.e. till 2022-2023 financial year another Tk400 crore have been spent. In this way, different organizations including Dhaka Wasa and City Corporation have spent about Tk3 thousand crores to solve the waterlogging but the city dwellers have not got any benefit.
Sources in DSCC's engineering department said that they have taken several steps to resolve the waterlogging. Out of this, all waste has been removed from 11 canals taken over from Dhaka WASA in 2020. The canals are being cleaned regularly to maintain the flow of water. Apart from this, box culverts and drains are being kept clean. Referring to the assurance given by the two mayors to solve the waterlogging problem, former general secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners Mo Abu Naim Sohag said, 'When the mayors repeatedly said that there will be no waterlogging, we have also repeatedly said that they may have done some work, and they may be satisfied with it. . But if it rains, there will be no flooding in Dhaka - Dhaka is far from this reality. He also commented that the stories of success that the mayors have been telling in solving the waterlogging are more like political statements.
According to a report in 2017, 10 public and private institutions, political parties and 248 individuals have occupied parts of 37 canals out of a total of 58 canals in Dhaka city.
According to the drainage design code, even if it rains up to 30 mm per hour (180 mm in 6 hours) in Dhaka, that water must have the capacity to be drained through drains and canals. But the reality is that even though about 50-60 percent of the design rain has rained, long-term waterlogging is occurring in various areas and roads of Dhaka city. A study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) has found that at least 3,483 acres of water bodies and subsoils have been filled in and around Dhaka in the last nine years, and the rules of the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) formulated in 2010 Ignoring 36% of Dhaka's reservoirs and low-lying areas have been filled. They also say that nine years ago there were 1 lakh 937 acres of water bodies and lowlands in various parts of the city under the jurisdiction of Capital Development Authority (RAJUK), but already 22% i.e. 22 thousand 156 acres have been filled, which is a cause of waterlogging every year. In addition, one of the causes of waterlogging in Dhaka is that the drains and box culverts are not able to flow according to their capacity due to the accumulation of garbage, the canals become narrow channels and the canals become piles of garbage, the drainage of rainwater is very slow, the collection of garbage in the city Poor management and lack of public awareness. President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) Adil Muhammad Khan said that reservoirs are being filled through various government agencies. As a result, if it rains 60-70 mm in Dhaka, there is flooding, people suffer. Dhaka North City Corporation has allocated Tk 5 crore for the lake repair and maintenance sector, Tk 5 crore has been kept for the drain cleaning sector, and the organization will also spend Tk 5 crore for cleaning the canal. Apart from this, Tk25 crores have been allocated for modernization, development and purchase of pump house equipment.
On the other hand, Dhaka South City Corporation has earmarked Tk 90 crore in the budget for flood relief in the fiscal year 2023-2024. Apart from this, the project named 'canal restoration, renovation and creation of aesthetic environment' has cost Tk207 crore 71 lakh. Last year, two city corporations sent two proposals to the ministry to resolve waterlogging. On 14th July DSCC sent 1 proposal to resolve waterlogging. The DSCC has been named 'Drainage Relief Branch' and has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Local Government for a total of 128 posts including 114 posts in central and regional offices and 14 posts in the revenue sector of the market, commercial construction and renovation wing. On the other hand, DNCC sent a proposal to the ministry to create 265 posts in a department called 'Drainage Circle' and 69 posts in City Sanitation Cell last October. Then on March 14, DNCC sent a revised proposal to the Ministry of Local Government to create 196 posts in the Drainage Circle and 66 posts in the City Sanitation Cell. However, it has not yet been approved.
Chairman of the River and Delta Research Center (RDRC) Mohammad Ejaz said, "The canals of Dhaka have only changed hands. Nothing really worked. The first task after acquiring ownership was to set boundaries. Neither the DSCC nor the DNCC can fully define the boundaries of a canal. The two city corporations are yet to construct an ideal canal where encroachment and pollution do not exist. On the contrary, billions of rupees have been spent in the name of canal cleaning and special operations.
ZH
