Reza Mahmud :
Most parts of the capital Dhaka goes under water during very heavy rainfall and people suffer the worst for the untold situation, but they do not know who is liable for this.
The officials of the two City Corporations blamed Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) for the water logging, while the DWASA officials blamed for inadequate facilities.
On the other hand, the environmentalists blamed the political indecisions of government. Unconscious activities of the citizens were also blamed for this.
The ecologists claimed that there were more than 63 canals in the city but nowadays only 10 to 12 canals have been seen alive.
“Both the city corporations and WASA are mostly responsible for the acute sufferings from the waterlogging that creates in every heavy rainfall. They have failed to recover grabbed canals in the city. It is the main reason why the water cannot remove quickly,” M A Matin, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) told The New Nation yesterday.
He added, “There were more than 63 canals in the city before our liberation. After liberation we found above 50 canals. We found more than 40 canals in the eightieths. Nowadays the city corporations claimed about 23 canals are alive in Dhaka but we count only 10 to 12 canals alive now.” A former mayor of Dhaka City Corporation and BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said, “Converting the city canals as block culverts is the major cause of unsolved waterlogging in the city. It was wide ranges wrong decision of the present government to convert the open canals as block culverts.”
Mirza Abbas said this while addressing a discussion meeting in the city recently. He also demanded return of the canals as its own shape.
Sources said there are very poor drainage systems in several parts of the capital which also a big reason for the waterlogging.
Some also blamed the cleaners of the City Corporations as they do not clean the drains regularly.
“There are no active sufficient drainage systems to face the situation. You see, it is just few days the drainage systems construction have been started in Rampura, a very important portion of the city. There are no drainage systems in every area in Mirpur, a busiest and densely populated area. Then how the water will remove?” asked M A Matin.
The environmentalists also blamed the government for its unwillingness to implement the ban law on use of polythene bags.
They said, the imperishable polythene bags are the major culprit of waterloggings in city areas as it blocked all the drains to pass the water through.
“The former BNP led government banned the use of the polythene bags. First few months that government found took strict actions against productions, sale and use of it. But they also started ignorance on it after few months. On the other hand the present government is showing unwillingness to stop its production and use,” BAPA Secretary General said.
The ecologists, politicians, government and city corporations also blamed the citizens for their misuse of garbage.
They said the people are mostly unconscious. They use drains, canals and culverts as dustbins.
“There is huge density of population in this city. If everyone throw their garbage to canals and drains then how officials keep it clean regularly,” said Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, the Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation while addressing a meeting in his office in this regard.
On the other hand, DSCC has bought a water sucker machine from Italy. The ‘Zate and Sucker’ machine is able to extract all water from any 120 meter long drain. But it has not been seen anywhere in the severe waterlogging in last three days rain. When contacted, Farazi Shahabuddin Ahmed, the Chief Engineer of DSCC said, “The machine is able to clean dirt from drains but failed to extract water now.”
He blamed grabbers for the waterlogging saying, the water cannot be extracted due to grabbing of city canals.
On the other hand, Shariful Islam, the Additional Assistant Engineer of Dhaka North City Corporation blamed the WASA for the waterlogging saying, we are not liable for this but it is duty to WASA to extract water from drains.
When trying to contact, the cell phone of Taqsem A Khan, the Managing Director of DWASA was found off.
In a recent contact, he said that WASA is trying to recover all canals of the city.
