Most drains across our cities are clogged up by garbage, while others are either broken, or are manholes without lids. This makes things especially difficult during monsoon when the roads fill up with filthy water. Traffic is made worse, so that people have to wait hours to reach a destination. 

The reasons behind these out-of-order drains are the inadvisable mixture of concrete and tar, the low quality of raw materials, and the inefficiency of the authorities involved. 

Bangladesh may be planning to grow into a middle income country by 2021, but our infrastructure is not well prepared to meet the entailed challenges. The government must step in through penalty for the convicted, immediate reformation of the damaged parts in the sewerage system, and more awareness regarding issues related to waste management.  

Sukamal Datta Tonmoy

University of Rajshahi