The recent initiative by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to launch a month-long special cleanliness drive ahead of the monsoon is both timely and necessary. With waterlogging having become an annual urban crisis in Dhaka, such proactive steps deserve recognition. The effort to clean box culverts, identify 33 waterlogging hotspots, deploy emergency response teams, and prepare pumping mechanisms signals a renewed administrative urgency under the new leadership.
Yet, while DSCC’s actions are commendable, they also highlight a deeper structural problem that has long plagued Dhaka’s drainage system: the absence of effective coordination among key agencies.
Waterlogging in Dhaka is not merely a consequence of clogged drains or heavy rainfall. It is the result of a fragmented governance framework where responsibilities are divided among multiple institutions—primarily Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), and Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA). Each of these bodies manages different components of a single, interconnected drainage ecosystem. Without seamless collaboration, even the most well-intentioned efforts risk falling short.
The DSCC administrator’s acknowledgement of infrastructural limitations—such as the inadequacy of only three water discharge points at TT Para, Dholai Khal, and Hatirjheel—underscores the scale of the challenge. Plans to add new exits at New Market and Sadarghat are encouraging, as are the initiatives to restore key canals like Jirani, Shyampur, Kalunagar, and Manda. However, these measures will have limited impact unless upstream and downstream systems, often managed by other agencies, function in tandem.
This is where the role of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority becomes critical. As the primary builder and operator of much of the stormwater infrastructure, WASA’s engagement is indispensable. Similarly, the absence of visible parallel initiatives by Dhaka North City Corporation raises concerns about uneven preparedness across the city. Water does not respect administrative boundaries; a blockage in one jurisdiction can easily trigger flooding in another.
The irony is that all three entities operate under the same ministry, which should, in theory, facilitate coordination. Yet, in practice, institutional silos persist. Overlapping mandates, unclear accountability, and a lack of integrated planning have historically undermined flood mitigation efforts. Experts have repeatedly warned that without a unified approach, piecemeal interventions will not deliver lasting solutions.
To move beyond this cycle, the government must prioritise the creation of a coordinated command structure for drainage management. This could take the form of a joint task force or a centralised monitoring system that brings together DSCC, DNCC, and WASA under a single operational framework during the monsoon season. Data sharing, synchronized cleaning operations, and joint emergency responses should become standard practice rather than exceptions.
Equally important is public participation. The DSCC administrator’s call for citizens to refrain from indiscriminate waste disposal is not merely advisory—it is essential. Polythene and solid waste remain among the biggest contributors to blocked drains and culverts. Without behavioral change at the community level, institutional efforts will continue to face setbacks.
Dhaka’s waterlogging crisis is neither new nor unsolvable. The current initiative by Dhaka South City Corporation offers a window of opportunity to break from past inefficiencies. But success will depend not on isolated action, but on collective resolve. Only through genuine coordination, shared accountability, and public cooperation can the city hope to stay afloat during the monsoon months.
