Mir Abdul Alim :
In the rain water, the capital Dhaka and the Port City of Chattogram are sinking. People living in these two cities are trapped in water. It not only causes loss of trade and commerce but also creates untold sufferings to the city dwellers.
In addition, there are continuous traffic congestions in the cities. People cannot walk under the pressure of water. In some areas, the city dwellers have to move through the boats. Now the questions are — what is the city life? Where is the hope? Will the waterlogging of these two cities be overcome? What are the city authorities doing to resolve waterlogging?
If there is planned urbanisation, there will be no waterlogging. There will be no waterlogging if the city canals have not been occupied. For the last few months, Dhaka South and North City Corporations are working to build new drains in different areas of Dhaka. If these drains are properly planned, then the water bodies of capital may be slightly relieved.
Meanwhile, there are adequate canals in the capital Dhaka and Chattogram. But the city dwellers do not know where the canals are. Many canals have already been occupied. These canals need to be freed from the occupation of new urban clerks.
To solve the waterlogging, the government will have to be active, be strong, work on conscience. Only then will the water shortages of urban life be eased. This situation has been going for years. In the last two and a half decades, many residents of these two cities have urged the authorities concerned to take steps in this regard, but nothing was done.
However, the very worrying situation of the two important cities is undeniable. We hope that the highest policy makers will take this matter seriously and take appropriate measures to ease the grievances of the residents of the city permanently.
We are not concerned about the people who live in the city. Everyone knows about the issues that are responsible, but this awareness does not work. People still throw dirty rubbish in the polythene bag through the window of the house in drains in the dark of night. For this, the natural flow of water is clogged.
Presently, the cities are submerged in the rain. Road movement in the Dhaka’s Mouchak-Malibagh area including the Karwan Bazar, Shani-Nagar, Bailey Road, Magbazar, Rajarbagh area have been disrupted. In Chattogram, the same thing occurs in Agrabad, Halishahar, GEC, Pahartoli, and Sadarghat area.
Apart from these, the natural movement of the people is also being disrupted. The city dwellers have been extremely suffering for it. There is no way to shift liability by the DCCs and the concerned agencies. We think this has happened because of the delicate situation of drainage system in these two cities.
Due to the lack of monitoring, the use of the banned polythene bag has been increased. The whole city has become virtually flooded with these environmental destroyer polythene bags. Polythene bags create obstruction in drainage of water.
Now, the questions are why the authorities have not been aware of the fact that due to deadly waterlogging in the city there may be extreme public disaster? Why is not any effective initiative taken to mobilise the water drainage system in the city? Why the two city corporations of Dhaka and the Chattogram City Corporation are sleeping?
We see, the misfortune of Chattogram is still less than Dhaka. There are still some canals in Chattogram which could be returned to the old look if they are re-excavated. And if the development planners think of the drainage system, then the situation can be changed.
According to the report of the newspaper, 35 projects worth Tk 4,400 crore have been taken for the development of the city, but there is no project in related to waterlogging. There were also allegations of massive corruption and irregularities in the project implantation. At any cost, effective measures should be taken to resolve this situation.
It is not difficult to find out the relation between waterlogging and development, because this development is unplanned development. We have filled all the canals and springs of Dhaka and Chittagong long ago.
In Chattogram city, 16 canals are used to drain rain waters. Most of the canals are illegally occupied by powerful persons. Those could not be recovered as helpless authorities were in the power.
In many countries of the world, there is unique co-existence of tree plantation and drainage system. Then why can’t we do it? It is the responsibility of the government, Local Administration, WASA as well as our City Corporations to take steps in this regard.
(Mir Abdul Alim, journalist, researcher and columnist, [email protected])
