Two city corporations chalk out priorities

The two city corporations of Dhaka have drawn up immediate and long-term plans to solve the perennial waterlogging problem in the capital, but recovering canals from encroachers and making them functional remain key challenges.

Officials said the city corporations have already started removing tonnes of waste from the canals, box culverts, and drains as part of their immediate plans, since the rainy season is just a few months away.

They also started taking stock of the pumps installed at different points of the city to pump out rainwater.

Officials said they have started demarcating the canals in their respective jurisdiction as part of the long-term plans. Once the demarcation is completed, they will recover canals from the encroachers and proceed to plant trees, construct walkways, and bicycle lanes on the banks of the canals.

The two city corporations -- Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) -- took responsibility of Dhaka's drainage system and canal management from Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) on December 31 last year.

On that day, Dhaka Wasa handed over its drainage division, including its workforce and equipment, to the two city corporations. During its time, Wasa was responsible for maintaining 26 canals spanning over 84.5 kilometres, 10 box culverts of around 10km length, and 385km of storm water drainage lines.

The city corporations, on the other hand, managed 2,200km of pipe and surface drains.

But as the shared responsibilities did not work in solving waterlogging, the mayors of the two city corporations blamed it on Dhaka Wasa and wanted to take responsibility of the total drainage system last year.

They said as public representatives, they often face the wrath of the residents for waterlogging, so it makes sense that they manage the whole system.

DNCC now has 29 canals (29.88km long), 180 km long storm sewerage line, 2.3km box culvert, 1.4km long U-type channel, and two pump stations at Kalyanpur and Ramchandrapur under its jurisdiction, according to officials.

DSCC, on the other hand, has 11 canals and other drainage systems.

The government has also decided to hand over 13 more canals to the two city corporations, which are under the management of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).

"We've found 39 canals in Dhaka and asked the DC office of Dhaka to submit an area list of the canals to the city corporations in phases," LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam told reporters on January 24.

RECOVERING CANALS TOP PRIORITY: TAPOSH

DSCC mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said although recovering the canals from encroachers is their top priority, DSCC is giving equal importance to removing garbage from the canals and box culverts before the arrival of the rainy season.

"We have already submitted a project proposal to develop four canals to the LGRD ministry. We will start work after getting necessary approvals," Taposh told The Daily Star recently.

He said the 11 canals under DSCC areas cannot flush rainwater properly as encroachers keep them choked at different points.

"We will start with developing four canals -- Manda, Kalunagar, Jirani and Syampur -- under our long-term plan. These canals play a vital role in carrying rainwater in DSCC's area. Gradually we will bring other canals under the project."

Taposh said DSCC has earmarked a Tk 981 crore project to develop the canals.

For the short-term plan, the DSCC mayor said, "To reduce waterlogging in the next rainy season, we have started cleaning the culverts, canals and have already removed 75,000 tonnes of garbage and silt."

Taposh said they have identified the areas where there was waterlogging last year and have invited tenders for the development works, adding that the work will be finished by May.

"Most of the pumping stations and sluice gates DSCC has got from Wasa are out of order," Taposh informed. "We are now using the city corporation's fund to make them functional."

The DSCC mayor said a project in Dholaikhal, funded by the World Bank, is expected to start after the coming rainy season or early next year. This will solve waterlogging in some areas in the old part of the city, he added.

On the issue of existing workforce, Taposh said they have already prepared a new organogram with a demand for additional workforce which will be sent to the public administration ministry soon.

DEMARCATION, WASTE MANAGEMENT THE KEY: ATIQUL

DNCC mayor Md Atiqul Islam said they too have laid out short-mid-long term plans to address the waterlogging issue.

Although the plans are almost similar to that of DSCC, disconnecting sewerage connection from storm water drain, encouraging people to set up a safety tank, and plugging in those solid household waste connections with canals and lakes are some key short and mid-term targets of the DNCC.

About recovering the canals from the encroachers, Atiqul said they have decided to take an innovative approach to demarcate the canals under their jurisdiction.

"We have already completed demarcation work through digital mapping, using drone services on four canals. Now we will take vetting from the DC office on the digital mapping after completing some necessary processes. After this, we will set up boundary pillars based on the demarcation," he said.

The demarcation pillars will be set up so that encroachers move away along with their structures from the canals.

"If they do not do it, the city corporation will evict them," said the DNCC mayor, adding that they will plant trees on the banks of the canals and will set up bicycle lanes.

He said solid waste is the main barrier to the smooth flow of water in DNCC's canals.

"If we can ensure the desired depth and width of the canals, water will flow throughout the year which will also help prevent the canals from becoming mosquito breeding grounds," Atiqul said.

He said the city corporation is also taking initiatives to prevent people from dumping waste into canals. "We are going to appoint additional staffers to conduct cleaning works everyday throughout the year," he added.

The mayor also said a public notice has been issued through newspapers asking residents of DNCC to disconnect sewerage lines of their own buildings from canals and storm drains and set up their own septic tanks and shock wells by the next 60 days.

"We will conduct mobile court drives starting from the Gulshan area. This is because Gulshan lake has become heavily polluted due to the dumping of sewerage water," said the mayor.

The city corporation will form a committee in this regard, he said, incorporating experts who will give proper advice on their plans.

'DSCC, DNCC MUST WORK TOGETHER'

Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, said the two city corporations will have to include solid and liquid waste management under their plan. "Otherwise it will not be possible to protect the canals and maintain the drainage systems," said Habib.

He said the city corporations should involve city residents and their plans must be executed on time.

"The city corporations will have to build awareness among people, especially those living beside the canals, so that they do not dump their solid or liquid waste and they can discourage others from dumping waste into the canals," he said.

He said the two city corporations must work together, under an integrated master plan.

"They will also have to ensure that the canal network covers up to the river and they will have to remove all obstacles to ensure proper connectivity," said Habib.