The residents of the capital’s Hazaribagh area continue to suffer from the long-running troubles of ineffective drains and potholed roads in the area, allegedly because of negligence from authorities concerned.
During a recent visit to the area, the Dhaka Tribune found many roads to be in dilapidated shape because of haphazard digging of the roads for installing sewage lines of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa).
Ataur Rahman, a resident of the Ambia Mosque Market area, said although the sewage project had been completed by Wasa around six months ago, the repairing of the dug roads was yet to begin.
The slabs covering the drains in the area were also found to be broken; Ataur claimed faulty construction by the contractors had caused the slabs to crack within months of being constructed.
Admitting to the dismal condition of the drains in Hazaribagh, Chief Engineer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Zahangir Alam told the Dhaka Tribune: “The drains in Hazaribagh were made about 100 years back. From current perspective, their condition is not good.”
“We have tried to widen the drains in the area, but it created difficulties as the roads had cracked because of the digging for drain space,” he added.
Zahangir said the city corporation was ready to widen roads and drains if the locals agreed to provide land on both sides of the existing roads.
“But the real problem is no one wants to sacrifice their own land,” he added.
Although the populace in Hazaribagh has grown exponentially and the number of tanneries has increased, there has not been adequate revamp of the roadside drains in the areas, locals alleged.
The inadequate drainage system also causes water to become clogged in the area during rainy season, resulting in breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
The situation has worsened as over 200 tanneries in the area wash, dry and process raw hide inside factories and on open areas, causing even more blockage in the drains. The chemical and liquid wastes of the tanneries also regularly overflow from the narrow drains, causing health hazards for the locals as well as engulfing the area with an unbearable stench.
Despite repeated calls by locals and different environmental rights bodies, the move to relocate tanneries from the capital to Savar has remained suspended for a decade, because of disagreements between the authorities and tannery owners over who should bear the cost of the move.
After a public interest litigation was lodged, the High Court in June 2009 asked the government to relocate the tanneries from Dhaka to a proposed leather estate at Harindhara, Savar by February 28, 2010 or face shutdowns. The government has repeatedly sought more time.