AFTER torrential rain, most parts of metropolis Dhaka, Chittagong and other major cities are suffering from knee-deep water from early this week. Accompanied by story wind and smog city life has become unbearable at places in muddy streets along the dirty footpaths. Under-construction flyovers are blocking movement of traffic in roads under water adding to risks of accidents. The scenario is alarming over the past few days but there is no solution in sight. But question is how long will such situation persist?
Why the city water logging is not improving despite pouring of millions of dollars every year to solve the problem is the big question. Media footage during the last two days portrayed inundated city roads and house basements along with terrible scene of devastation of flash flood in many districts destroying Boro crops in the field and fish and livestock all over. This is the same story of failure of the government to protect farmland from flood like the city from water logging. It talks tall but as it happens corrupt officials and dishonest contractors have grabbed the project funds building fragile embankment that quickly melted on pressure of gushing water. The city drainage system is also failing to drain out water because of poor work.
Mysterious climate change is adding to people’s concern over the past several days often darkening the sky with a blanket of cloud. Moreover digging of roads and city by-lanes to fit utility lines is adding extra hassle forcing people to live with dirty water and muddy environment. We don’t know why the City Corporations and other utility suppliers start expansion work during Rainy Season. Many people believe that the concerned authorities and contractors make the plan this way to make illegal fortune.
We see, promises have piled up over the years by successive governments and City Mayors to ease city water logging, but virtually no big success has so far been achieved. One big reason for water logging in cities is over-flooding of sewerage system blocked by garbage. Moreover politically influential people have grabbed most city canals and water bodies or part of them blocking water drainage. City traffic is facing setback to run vehicles in water; as commuters see no end to their plight.
Water logging arises from unplanned urbanization with insufficient drainage system. Illegal occupation of flood flow zones, rainwater retention areas and wetlands is adding to it. It all happened on the nose of the government breaking the law but since most land grabbers are ruling party men, the government did not come to its rescue. Now is a situation the entire city may be quickly flooded unless many such illegal establishments can be removed to make easy way for running water.
We must say the city people have great expectations from the two Mayors to end water logging. In our view they will take big steps and coordinate them with other agencies to start implementation in dry season to keep the city unaffected in Rainy Season. Any inefficiency and misuse of power must be sternly dealt.
Why the city water logging is not improving despite pouring of millions of dollars every year to solve the problem is the big question. Media footage during the last two days portrayed inundated city roads and house basements along with terrible scene of devastation of flash flood in many districts destroying Boro crops in the field and fish and livestock all over. This is the same story of failure of the government to protect farmland from flood like the city from water logging. It talks tall but as it happens corrupt officials and dishonest contractors have grabbed the project funds building fragile embankment that quickly melted on pressure of gushing water. The city drainage system is also failing to drain out water because of poor work.
Mysterious climate change is adding to people’s concern over the past several days often darkening the sky with a blanket of cloud. Moreover digging of roads and city by-lanes to fit utility lines is adding extra hassle forcing people to live with dirty water and muddy environment. We don’t know why the City Corporations and other utility suppliers start expansion work during Rainy Season. Many people believe that the concerned authorities and contractors make the plan this way to make illegal fortune.
We see, promises have piled up over the years by successive governments and City Mayors to ease city water logging, but virtually no big success has so far been achieved. One big reason for water logging in cities is over-flooding of sewerage system blocked by garbage. Moreover politically influential people have grabbed most city canals and water bodies or part of them blocking water drainage. City traffic is facing setback to run vehicles in water; as commuters see no end to their plight.
Water logging arises from unplanned urbanization with insufficient drainage system. Illegal occupation of flood flow zones, rainwater retention areas and wetlands is adding to it. It all happened on the nose of the government breaking the law but since most land grabbers are ruling party men, the government did not come to its rescue. Now is a situation the entire city may be quickly flooded unless many such illegal establishments can be removed to make easy way for running water.
We must say the city people have great expectations from the two Mayors to end water logging. In our view they will take big steps and coordinate them with other agencies to start implementation in dry season to keep the city unaffected in Rainy Season. Any inefficiency and misuse of power must be sternly dealt.
