Urban planners, academicians, engineers, environmentalists and rights activists have said that a powerful authority is needed for the proper implementation of the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and well-planned development of Dhaka city. Speaking at a views exchange meeting on Saturday (November 12), they said that plagued with various problems including unplanned urbanization, traffic jams and pollution, Dhaka is now at the bottom of the list of livable cities. The latest DAP for Dhaka city has many new components to overcome the problems, but its outcome depends on its proper implementation.
In such a situation, the city government needs to be established for the effective implementation of the DAP aiming to build a livable and planned Dhaka city, they added.
Naima Akter, project manager at Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB Trust) in her keynote paper presentation at the event mentioned that if the current growth rate of private cars remains 5.2%, the number of private cars in the city will reach 3,60,000 by 2035 and the space required to park the private cars will be 3.6 square kilometers.
Controlling the number of private cars is possible by developing safe walking environment, necessary cycle lanes and improved bus services. For this reason, the DAP has proposed to build 1000 kms of walking paths and 500 kms of cycle lanes on a priority basis in the first five years. The city government system will be helpful to achieve the purposes of DAP.
Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Save the Environment Movement- Poba) and WBB Trust jointly organised the views exchange meeting on “Detailed Area Plan (2022-2035) for Dhaka city: Responsibilities to Implement It” at the National Press Club in the capital.
Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poba presided over the event, while Ziaur Rahman, senior project manager of WBB Trust, moderated it.
Engineer Md Nurul Huda, president of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), Md Ashraful Islam, project director of DAP, Dr Aktar Mahmud, a professor of the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University, Engineer Md Abdus Sobhan, former additional director general of Department of Environment (DoE), and Gaous Pearee, director at WBB Trust, took part in discussion at the event.
Maruf Hossain, executive council member of Nagorik Unnayan Kendra (the civic development centre), Iftekhar Mahmud, coordinator of B-scan, MA Wahed, secretary of Poba, Zakir Hossain, chairman of DDP, HM Nurul Islam, and headmaster of Dhanmondi Kachikanth High School also spoke at the event, among others.
Many speakers of the event emphasised the need for establishing city government system for a livable Dhaka city, saying that this system will be helpful for the proper implementation of DAP and all the development authorities will have to be brought under the city government.
In the presidential speech, Abu Naser Khan said that modern and scientific concepts have been provided in the present DAP. “We have no disagreement about building a livable Dhaka, regardless of the misconceptions or controversies. Efforts are needed to implement DAP under the leadership of Rajuk through a road map,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Engineer Md Nurul Huda said that an action plan is needed to implement the DAP. The development activities should be controlled through a powerful authority as well as a regulatory body. So, it is necessary to take initiative to implement DAP under the responsibility of a minister by forming an organization consisting of all stakeholders, he added.
Highlighting various points of DAP, Md Ashraful Islam said that if the height of the building is approved without considering the civic amenities of an area, the area will lose habitability. The FAR has been determined in the DAP depending on road width and land area in residential areas. The FAR is subject to review every three years and the entire DAP every five years, he added.
“We are trying to form area-based monitoring teams to control development activities. Rajuk has developed many fields in Dhaka city as a single organization. However, management is not within our purview. Now, it is necessary to give the responsibility of maintenance of fields and parks to the local people. Rajuk and city corporations will perform duties as watchdog,” said the DAP PD.
In his speech, Prof Dr Aktar Mahmud said that population density and building height mentioned in the DAP have been the most debated. Central Dhaka has a population of 49,000 per square kilometer. It is not possible to ensure education, field-park and other services due to high population density. “Destroying a city is inappropriate for personal interests. A permanent committee is needed to implement the priority-based projects,” said the JU professor.
Giving emphasis on fields and open spaces in the city, Engineer Md Abdus Sobhan said that fields and parks must be built in the designated area of the DAP. “We need to develop the capital’s old jail as a green belt. There is no alternative to decentralization to restore livability in Dhaka city,” he said.
In her speech, Gaous Pearee of WBB Trust said, “We have been able to save Tentultala field and Paris Road field due to the implementation of DAP. The list of fields and parks identified in DAP should be prepared and development initiatives should be taken. Besides, coordination between public and private organizations should be ensured.”
