Deluged Dhaka

When seasonal rains come down with the monsoon, large parts of the city suffer massive water logging. The situation is getting worse. With the city experiencing a mere 30 millimetres of rain on August 14, residents of busy areas of the city like Malibagh, Shantinagar, Moghbazar to Bangla Motor took the brunt of the inundation and had to negotiate the knee-deep rain water that had mingled with the filth from open drains. That in fact, is only half the problem. With major portions of the city undergoing major infrastructure projects like flyover construction, roads are already in bad shape with potholes that disappear as the water level rises.

This happens every year. It is no great secret as to why the rain water has no recourse but remain trapped in the city. Over the decades we have filled up the natural drainage system which included canals and the catchment areas that dotted and surrounded the city of Dhaka. What we would like to know is why authorities have turned a blind eye to the naked grabbing of these   areas by powerful land grabbers that obviously enjoy patronage from powerful quarters.

Precisely, why the Detailed Area Plan had to be amended, and its implementation remains hanging, is another point of contention city dwellers must live with. With a burgeoning population of some 15million people, such problems persist and residents will continue to suffer unless authorities pluck up the courage to confront these vested interests and restore the natural drainage system.