Residents of the capital continue to suffer from reoccurring flash floods as many ambitious development projects undertaken by the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has failed to deliver any positive results.
This monsoon, city dwellers suffered when overnight showers submerged several low-lying areas in the capital where inundated and the stagnant water caused havoc in daily lives.
Areas like Shukrabad, Indira Road, Rajabazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Moghbazar, Shantinagar, Badda, Baridhara, Notun Bazar, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Rayerbazar, Hazaribagh, Old Dhaka, Sayedabad and Jatrabari areas went knee-deep under water, leaving the city dwellers living in waterlogged conditions for several days.
Most residents blamed negligence and irregularities at the Dhaka Wasa for the dire state of the city’s drainage and sewerage lines, which have now become incapable of routing excess water out of the capital.
“Many streets in our area have gone underwater after a light shower in the morning. Now, we cannot find buses or vehicles to take us to our workplace,” said Rumana Akhtar, a resident of Shukrabad and an employee of a private firm.
“This scenario had been going on for years, but the authorities have yet to take any measures in this regard,” she added.
Although Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan had directed the local government body to address waterlogging problems in the capital, Dhaka Wasa was yet to show any positive results in this regard.
As per the directive, Dhaka Wasa installed pumping stations in Kallyanpur, Dholaikhal, Rampura and Kamlapur to drain off rainwater over the years, however, the effort produced no satisfactory outcome.
According to Wasa, the major part of its drainage system consists of canals, rivers and lakes to reroute the extra water out of the capital. It also uses a storm drainage network of around 261.39 square kilometres around the city.
The major canal system in and around the capital are the Degun-Ibrahimur-Kallyanpur canal that drains out to the Turag River, the Dhanmondi-Paribagh-Gulshan-Banani-Mohakhali-Begunbari canal that drains out to the Balu River, the Segunbagicha-Gerani-Dholaikhal canal that drains out to the Balu and Buriganga rivers.
The government body also undertook the Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation project, in association with the World Bank, in 2008 to reclaim 26 canals from grabbers. That project, too, has remained fruitless.
According to Wasa sources, there were originally 65 canals, but with the course of time, the number came down to 43. Of the remaining, some 20 canals have already died out, many of them have been filled up with garbage and the rest are gradually being encroached on by land grabbers.
When contacted, Dhaka Wasa Deputy Managing Director (Administration) Md Ataur Rahman termed the waterlogging a temporary problem and blamed fund shortages for the poor conditions of the drainage and sewerage system in the city.
“We have already contacted different donor agencies for their support to develop this sector in Dhaka,” he added.
Ataur also blamed the city people for dumping of waste in the canals and drains, thereby preventing the free flow of water.
