Dhaka’s perennial waterlogging and flooding problems stem largely from the systematic encroachment and neglect of its canals and rivers. In addition to waterlogging, the neglect shown towards our canals feeds into other problems such as pollution and even the steady rise of dengue as a year-long danger away from its previous status as a seasonal nuisance.
The environment ministry under the interim government has noticed just how much damage canal encroachment can pose to us, and to that end the recent drive by the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to reclaim the Katasur canal from illegal occupiers is a small but necessary step in the right direction. For decades, canals like Katasur have been narrowed or filled in by powerful land grabbers, often with the tacit approval of corrupt officials -- the result is a city that floods at the slightest downpour, causing immense suffering to its residents. While the DNCC’s demolition of illegal structures is commendable, such drives must be part of a broader, well-coordinated strategy.
Moreover, the interim administration must go beyond symbolic actions and address the systemic rot that allows such encroachments to thrive. This means investigating and prosecuting those -- including politically connected individuals and businesses -- who have illegally occupied public land. It also requires reforming the institutions responsible for urban planning and enforcement, ensuring transparency and accountability in their operations.
It is not only about preventing floods anymore, as restoring Dhaka’s waterways would have a clear and present positive effect in also restoring some of our city’s environmental integrity. The interim government, which has on multiple occasions pledged to prioritize environmental sustainability, must take decisive and sustained action to restore Dhaka’s waterways, hold encroachers accountable, and ensure long-term solutions to the city’s worsening ecological crisis.
Sunday, May 18, 2025
