THE Hatirjheel Project built to be a beautiful lake in the city center, besides working as a water reservoir and new traffic lanes around it has lost most of its attraction to become an open waste disposal ground. The stinking water due to solid waste disposal and drying water flow in this winter season creating more rot in the water has moreover made it a highly unhygienic place with bad odor of rotten water in the air. People living around the area or passing through traffic lanes by the lakeside feel really uneasy as they see the dirt piling up or smell polluting the area.
A vernacular daily reported that solid waste, human excretion, water bottles, napkins, plastic and such other materials are floating on lake water. At the water level is at low level now and not moving, it has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The project was opened in 2013 as a gift to the city dwellers in but work on some project components is scheduled to continue until 2018. The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) is responsible to run the lake but their failure is enough to say Hatijheel is yet another example of big mismanagement. We also know the Public Works Department has its share for repair and maintenance. But they are not giving proper attention to allow the situation to further aggravate.
The lake’s contaminated water with architecture of dazzling lights is an example of big mismatch. Meanwhile the government is planning to set up an open theater there to add to recreation facilities. But unless the hygienic condition in and around the lake can be improve and water contamination removed, people who otherwise want an outing space with water recreation and driving facilities, will ignore much of its attraction. The area with its wide-open spaces is gradually losing charm and beauty for lack of maintenance and proper management. Residents of the nearby area said that they are living with odors coming out from the lake. The situation remains as it is, but the authorities seem not to take any initiative to improve the quality of the water.
The government is not taking seriously experts opinion who are calling for quick installation of wastewater treatment plant to protect the lake from piling up of dirt and save it from water contamination. The project has installed a netting system to screen sewerage to stop solid wastes from entering the lake but it is not working properly from blockage of huge solid wastes. The problem surfaced a few months after the inauguration but it the system yet to be improved.
Even the Special Sewerage Diversion Structure designed especially for Hatirjheel that reroutes the storm water and sewerage line has proved inefficient to deal with the solid wastes. We must say RAJUK should not let the lake to become another manmade disaster by neglecting work to improve the system.
