Waterlogging may take a serious turn in the city during the rains this year as the drainage system has not been improved as yet, fueling concern among the dwellers. On Friday, moderate rain for just half an hour inundated most of the city’s low-lying areas, indicating that the situation will get worse during downpours in June and July. As a result most areas will get swamped with rainwater like in previous years due to poor drainage system and unplanned city development works, experts warned.
And even as the canals crisscrossing the capital Dhaka and water bodies surrounding it have also not been recovered yet, there is no hope to get rid of inundation. Waterlogging is a usual phenomenon in Dhaka city during rainy season as even moderate rainfall is enough to submerge its different areas. Water stagnation becomes a regular phenomenon for city dwellers in the rainy season, experts said, adding rain water can't pass smoothly due to filling up of local canals coupled with clogged drainage.
Besides, rainwater can’t pass smoothly as rubbish and garbage remain scattered everywhere on the roads and lanes due to stagnated water. As a result, the smooth movement of people and vehicles is hampered paralysing the normal life. According commuters, both the city corporations spend crores of taka every year in the name of improving drainage and sewerage system. At present, many development works including construction of Metro Rail are going on at different places. But, no effort is coming to help for the city dwellers due to lack of proper and long term plans.
However, the government's different agencies like WASA, city corporation, water development board and other authorities concerned assured the city dwellers of facing less waterlogging this season, but the recent pre-monsoon showers have exposed that there is still much work to be done to keep commuters free from rainwater miseries. Waterlogging takes a serious turn every monsoon causing immense suffering to the city dwellers. Most of the roads and lanes in different areas including Jurain, Dania, Muradpur, Mirpur-10, Shewrapara, Motijheel, Malibagh, Kathalbagan and Badda in the city go under knee to waist-deep water due to poor drainage facilities.
Lack of coordination between utility service provider agencies concerned like city corporations and WASA is the main reason behind the waterlogging problem, experts said. Blaming one another has now become a tendency of the utility service providing agencies. They think the restoration of the natural drainage network through reclaiming 43 canals from grabbers alongside proper maintenance of the existing drains and their further upgrading with proper plans are necessary to get rid of the capital's perennial waterlogging problem. As the city dwellers went through immense sufferings over the last few days, the Local Government Ministry formed 10 vigilance teams comprising high officials of the ministry for quick response to waterlogging in the two city corporation areas of the capital.
According to WASA to hold rainwater, 12 percent water reservoir of the total land is needed, but in Dhaka there is only two percent reservoir for which rainwater cannot be reserved. On the other hand, total land of the capital is covered with concrete for which water cannot go underground.Sources said, there was a big water reservoir behind the Bangladesh Bank at Motijheel where rainwater was harnessed. Later, following different canals the rainwater reached Balu River. But now the ways are closed as the canals are filled with wastage and garbage. As a result rainwater now stays on the road. As the lower land surrounding Dhaka is now filled, water cannot drain normally, thus causing waterlogging.
According to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) information, to drain rainwater there should be a pump station at Motijheel and its adjacent area, but in reality there is no pump station there. DSCC chief engineer Md Rezaul Karim said, from Motijheel there is only one way, Janapath where rainwater drains. There are three WASA pumps whose water drawing capacity is 54000 cubic meter (m3) but its requirement is one lakh m3. As a result, more than 60 mm of rainfall will lead to water logging in the area around Motijheel.
But he also stated that there are almost 1000 kilometer of sewage lines which are continuously being kept clean. On the other hand, even if some of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area waterlogging can be controlled, the problem will not minimize totally. DNCC has constructed sufficient sewerage lines in Gulshan and Badda, some are being constructed at Agargaon. These areas will be out of waterlogging. But as usual Mirpur will suffer from waterlogging.
Bangladesh Water Development Board director general, engineer Md Mahfuzur Rahman said, reconstruction of flood control dam, costal embankment, sinking dam, irrigation canals dam construction works are continuing in 70 regions across the country. Due to lack of allocation the department cannot progress. ‘If it rains like in 2017, this year the sufferings will go beyond expectation, he added.
City planner Iqbal Habib said, roads digging for development work, dumping of assorted garbage into canals, using polythene are responsible for waterlogging and environment pollution. Besides, there are other development work conducted by state owned agencies that will cause serious waterlogging in the capital. He said, due to embankments, canals that used to drain rainwater do not exist anymore. A few which remain are in a dire position. Even the drainage development work conducted throughout the year, does not come to any use.
Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA) general secretary Md Abdus Sobahan said, due to widespread use of polythene, the drainage system has become cripple. As a result, sudden rainfall creates waterlogging in the city. There are almost 1200 polythene factories in the country including in Dhaka, as per POBA statistics, almost two crore abandoned polythene items are only in Dhaka. They are identifying polythene as a major cause of waterlogging.
Due to grabbing and waste disposal, now rivers surrounding the capital are also on the way to dying following the canals. Due to lack of navigation, water cannot enter and exit.Professor Ainun Nishat, a water resources and climate change specialist told Bangladesh Post, the situation in city’s most areas is now chaotic, and it will worsen during the monsoon, especially with bad and dug-up roads filled with water and mud, due to the ongoing construction works of metro rail, elevated expressway and bus rapid transit.
“Some days back, 17 mm of rain was recorded in the city but it caused waterlogging in many areas. Therefore, I’m concerned that if Dhaka experiences 200 mm to 300 mm rain this year, it will be a disaster,” he said. Professor Ainun Nishat, also an urban expert said, “Dhaka City Corporation, and Dhaka WASA should shun the path of mudslinging and instead work together to protect the city from water-logging,”
Replying to a query, he said the city had 53 natural canals which used to drain out water from the capital to the rivers Buriganga, Turag and Balu during the monsoon. “But unfortunately we have lost these natural canals. If these canals are not rescued on an urgent basis, no initiative to remove rainwater from the city will prove effective. And we will have to face more troubles,” he expressed concern.
