Rayerbazar seeks mayor’s attention

Mayor Annisul Huq has visited different areas and took initiatives to address the various issues since assuming office last year but the DNCC did not undertake projects for the area’s development, locals claimed. Residents of Rayerbazar, on the south-west part of Dhaka, allege that they have been denied services by the city corporation and concerned government agencies. “There has been no new project for repairing or constructing roads and drains for quite some time in Rayerbazar allegedly because of negligence and lack of sincerity on the part of the concerned city corporation authorities,” said Rajjab Ali, a resident of Sultanganj at Rayerbazar. As for their part, the DNCC blamed their lack of development activities in the area on fund crunch. Mayor Annisul has promised to address the issues as much as possible in this fiscal.Rundown roads, poor drainage and waste managementMost of the roads in the area were found in a sorry rundown state during a recent visit. The East Rayerbazar, Sher-e-Bangla , Sultanganj, Hashemkhan, Mekabkhan, Katashur Namabazar roads were found muddy and full of potholes. The road beside Sadek Khan Krishi Market was muddy because of poor maintenance by the city corporation, alleged Kamrul, who runs a tea stall there. Since last year, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has been digging parts of the roads for repairing sewerage and water lines but no steps have been take to repair them, locals alleged. They said they approached Ward 33 Councillor Tarequzzaman Rajib but their pleas fell on deaf ears. It has become a norm that every time it rains, parts of Rayerbazar would be under water. The situation is particularly bad for residents of Mekabkhan Road who have to wade through knee-deep water after rain, thanks to poor drainage system. Jabbar Hossain, resident of Mekabkhan Road said: “After Annisul took over as DNCC mayor, we thought the residents of Rayerbazar will finally get rid of rundown roads and waterlogging. But we have got nothing in the past one year.” Another thing the city corporation has overlooked is setting up designated waste dumping ground in the area. Residents say many took advantage of the lack of dumping ground and disposed of garbages at any place they wanted. During a visit, this correspondent found waste containers set up on the road. Garbage was also seen dumped on roadside at the Hashem Khan intersection. Most of the roads in Rayerbazar had become dirty for lack of proper waste management.Kitchen market in sorry stateThe Rayer Bazar City Corporation Kitchen Market, also a major shopping centre in the area has been in a sorry state for a long time, as traders have stood against the repair of the buildings. Although the market was declared unsafe, hundreds of traders have refused to move. According to sources, the city corporation declared the buildings unsafe about 12 years ago. After inspecting the market’s old buildings, the city corporation officials, in April, 2006, pasted a notice on the buildings wall, warning people that it could collapse, but nothing has changed.Mayor promises actionMayor Annisul has taken various projects for development of roads, sewerage and drainage in posh areas like Gulshan, Banani, and Baridhara. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, he explained that embassies and high commissions of most countries are located in these areas and foreign gusts also stay there. “That’s why we focused our development work there first.” He has visited various under-develop areas including Mirpur and Gabtali to see the problems for himself and find solutions. But Rayerbazar residents claim they have been largely ignore. The mayor said it was not the case. He said people of Rayerbazar were not facing problems alone. “Residents of other areas are also facing various problems. We have noted down these problems and will solve them one by one,” the mayor said. “We will undertake big development projects for Rayerbazar, Mirpur and other under-developed areas in the city corporation,” he added.