Frustration continues to brew among residents and business owners in Dhaka as the city grapples with relentless waterlogging issues, despite several government initiatives aimed at mitigating the problem. The persistent flooding, often triggered by just a few hours of rainfall, has raised questions about the efficacy of ongoing projects and the allocation of resources.
Alamgir, a local businessman at Nilkhet in the New Market area, voiced his anger over the situation, saying: "If our shops are washed away in just a few hours of rain, then what will the City Corporation do if we pay so much money for rent and tax? Or is it all just a show?"
He expressed his frustration at the lack of progress in the area over the past 15 years, despite the transition of responsibility from Wasa to the City Corporation.
Chandrima market trader Afzal shared similar sentiments, highlighting the challenges of protecting his business during intermittent rainfall. "We were told that the problem would be resolved soon, but it hasn't been fixed even in three years. How much development is the government undertaking? Yet the issue of flooding still plagues us," he said.
As of Saturday, parts of the city, including Wari Joykali Temple, Bongshal, Bakshibazar, Azimpur Orphanage Road, Sat Masjid Road, Shimanta Square, Rayerbazar, Mohammadpur Tajmahal Road, Town Hall, Nurjahan Road, and the Krishi Market area, were still grappling with waterlogged streets. The problem extends to various locations, including Dhanmondi 27, Asad Gate, Farmgate, Tejkunipara, Karwan Bazar, Panthapath box culvert, Kalabagan, Shukrabad, and Kanthal Bagan.
Raihan, a resident of Kanthalbagan, described the misery of living in a flooded home, exacerbated by dirty water from the drainage system. Private university student Nausheen Akhter recounted the damage caused to her room and belongings by the waterlogging.
Despite ongoing efforts by Dhaka's two city corporations to address the waterlogging problem, challenges persist. The situation has become a perennial issue, especially after light rainfall, leaving many residents questioning the effectiveness of the projects undertaken by the government.
Initiatives of the city corporations
The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), along with its branches, took ownership of 11 immobile canals, five box culverts choked with waste, and approximately 200 kilometers of sewers. The DSCC claims to have removed 822,000 tons of waste and silt from these canals, box culverts, and sewers in 2021, 444,000 tons in 2022, and 135,000 tons until April 2023.
DSCC sources said that they have invested their own funds in building and developing infrastructure at 136 locations over the last three years, at a cost of Tk225 crore.
The design, drawing, and survey work for four canals, at a cost of Tk898 crore, is in progress. Simultaneously, the tender process has been completed to remove waste from these canals and for land development.
On the other hand, the process of determining the original channel of Buriganga has started in an area of about seven kilometers, from Muslim Bagh in Kamrangirchar to Rayerbazar. Dhaka South City Corporation is continuing the channel waste removal program at a cost of Tk 25 crore with its own funding.
Additionally, initiatives have been undertaken to create an aesthetic environment by removing waste and silt from the four canals, namely Shyampur, Manda, Jirani, and Kalungar, under Dhaka South City Corporation.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is also actively working to tackle the issue, emphasizing the importance of freeing canals and improving drainage systems. Nevertheless, the waterlogging problem persists, leaving many to wonder why the situation hasn't improved despite these efforts.
According to sources, non-functional sluice gates, blocked canals, and inadequate drainage infrastructure are among the factors contributing to the ongoing waterlogging woes. These issues raise questions about the city's ability to handle even moderate rainfall, given that the drainage system was designed for far less rainwater than what occurred on September 21, 2023.
The DNCC has identified a total of 103 problem locations and is actively working to resolve the waterlogging issue. It has ensured water flow by regularly cleaning 1250 km of drains. Over the past year, around 200,000 tons of waste have been removed from the canal.
An initiative has been launched to construct a state-of-the-art Hydro Ecopark at the Kalyanpur Retention Pond. Excavation work is ongoing after recovering 53 acres of vacant land. A total of 3 million cubic feet of sludge has been removed from Kalyanpur Retention Pond.
Furthermore, they are involved in digging, cleaning, greening of canals, constructing walkways, and rescuing 29 canals. Using GIS, they have demarcated the canals and installed 524 pillars.
In addition, the DNCC authorities have established a quick response team to address waterlogging issues.
City authorities recognize the need for improvements and the necessity of creating new master drainage lines to address the waterlogging issue effectively. The ongoing projects aim to facilitate water drainage and mitigate future waterlogging events, particularly in critical areas like Newmarket.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said: "Waterlogging is an issue. Many alleys in Dhaka city are less than 20 feet, and they mainly experience waterlogging problems. All these roads cannot be drained, so it takes some time for the water to subside or drain away. Additionally, efforts are underway to free the canals from encroachment."
Why is the waterlogging persisting?
According to sources, when it rains, the water in the capital flows into the surrounding rivers through three channels: a pump station, sluice gates, and canals. However, most of the sluice gates under Dhaka South City are non-functional, and the canals are not ideal for water flow.
Dhaka South City Corporation's pump station near Kamalapur Stadium can drain 855,000 liters of water per minute. However, the station becomes inoperative after heavy rains, as most drains and box culverts are blocked by garbage and illegal structures.
Khairul Baker, supervising engineer in charge of the development work of Dhaka South City, said that the city's drainage system was designed to handle a maximum of 100 millimeters of rainwater. However, on September 21, 155 millimeters of rain fell, which had not occurred in the last 10 years.
“Especially when the water from Asadgate, Rapa Plaza, Ganobhaban, and Sangsadplaza area flows through here, our drainage system cannot manage it, resulting in waterlogging,” he said.
"After assuming responsibility for drainage and canals in December 2020, we identified 136 locations prone to waterlogging. We've already resolved issues in 103 of them. However, it's important to note that this drainage system needs improvement. We plan to create several master lines because most of the few master lines created by WASA are ineffective and blocked. Therefore, we're working to solve problems related to these master lines and establish new master lines using canals to facilitate water drainage to the river. This process began this year and will be executed in phases," Khairul Baker explained.
Regarding the waterlogging issue in New Market, he added: "The cause of waterlogging in New Market is related to the drainage system of BGB. Cleaning it has been delayed for a while, but we began cleaning it after September 21, and it's still ongoing. I hope that with public awareness, we can address the problem and eliminate waterlogging soon."