THE ugliest reality in this mega city Dhaka, despite glowing flyovers to ease traffic congestion were constructed, is that during monsoon the entire city roads virtually go under water for several hours to days. The successive governments utterly failed in solving the water stagnation although several steps were taken involving huge budget over the years but all went in vain. A national daily, quoting Dhaka South City Corporation officials, reported that the perpetual encroachment on the city’s canals is responsible for waterlogging during the rainy season.
In the past, 54 canals naturally drained out rain water and sewerage, while at present there are only 13 canals in use and the rest are encroached, sand-filled and ultimately banished physically. The government has all the power — legal, executive and political to evict the encroachers aiming at freeing the city from the sufferings of the city dwellers over the years.
The latest Dhaka city survey stated that encroachers have filled up at least 43 canals of the city and formalized ownership of the land over the canals. The DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon at a coordination meeting accused the land grabbers for water stagnation. Most of the unoccupied portions of the city canals resemble landfills with waste piled up, forcing residents of adjacent areas to live in an inhumane environment. However, as most of the encroachers belong to powerful quarters, the authorities expressed doubts over efforts to reclaim all the canals as most of them have been developed beyond reclamation.
Besides, constructing buildings on water-flowing lands, narrow sewerage lines, and dumping garbages into sewerage system have also contributed in water logging in most areas of the city. As solid waste dumped by industries and households is filling up the existing canals, natural flow onto sewerage system became obstructed. Insiders said that water stagnation occurred as the drains failed to drain out rain water into the canals. DSCC Chief Waste Management Officer said underground drains often overflow with dirty water at many final discharge points, which also contributed to water stagnation.
To save the remaining canals, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority constructed concrete embankments on both sides of some canals. But, locals alleged that in the name of conserving the canals, the concrete embankment constructed beside some canals had actually narrowed down the canals and turned them into drains to facilitate land grabbers. Moreover, Dhaka WASA claimed only 26 canals and rest were not recorded in WASA list. The DSCC Mayor asked the district administration to find out the present condition of the canals for reclaiming. We strongly believe that the DSCC, DWASA and district administration could jointly emancipate the city dwellers from the curse of water stagnation vying all vested quarters triumph.
