The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has started urgent repairs on the small potholes across the city’s roads, with plans to complete the work within the next 15 days.
The announcement was made at a “Meet the Press” event on Wednesday at the DSCC’s Emergency Operations Center, where the overall development activities of the Engineering Department for the 2024-25 fiscal year were discussed.
Mizanur Rahman, the chief executive officer of the DSCC, explained that excessive rainfall this year had caused significant damage to the city’s roads. He assured that repairs on the smaller potholes would be completed within 15 days. For the larger road repairs, the DSCC has taken steps to expedite the tender process.
Rahman also highlighted the challenges faced due to road digging permits granted to various agencies for public service projects. While these agencies are allowed to dig roads for specific services, issues have arisen when they fail to meet the deadlines for completion. He also pointed out that the changing circumstances in the country had caused some delays in the commencement of certain works.
The DSCC has also issued work orders for 13 road-related projects, including repairs to roads, surface drains, and footpaths, through four ongoing tenders. The remaining nine projects are currently in the tender phase. Out of the 12 road digging projects, seven are ongoing, while the others are in the tender process, with expectations to complete them soon.
Regarding traffic infrastructure, Rahman mentioned that the chief adviser had issued directives to improve and maintain the traffic signal system using local technology. The pilot project will be tested from Banglamotor to Farmgate. There are five related projects, two of which are already underway, and tenders for the remaining three are in progress.
On the topic of waterlogging, Rahman noted that the DSCC has received several canals from Wasa, with special attention being given to four canals: Manda, Jirani, Shyampur, and Kalunagar. The aim is to dredge these canals and restore them to their original condition, remove illegal encroachers, and connect them to the city’s internal connectivity system, which is expected to alleviate waterlogging.
Waterlogging issues in areas such as New Market and Buet are also being addressed through five projects. One of these projects has already been awarded work orders, with the goal of resolving the waterlogging issues before the next season. Additionally, four development projects have been initiated in the newly added 18 wards, while four special development projects have been planned for parliamentary areas.
Rahman also said that there are 38 projects addressing specific requests from the mayor or administrator from various areas. Of these, seven are ongoing, and tenders have been invited for the remaining 31. For unexpected development expenses, seven projects have been taken up, four of which have been awarded work orders, while three are still in the tender phase.