Water logging

Water logging has emerged as the major environmental problem in the metropolitan cities of Dhaka and Chittagong due to unplanned urbanization and filling up of low lying land, lakes, river banks. Closure of Dholai khal, Begun Bari khal in Dhaka and Chaktai Khal in Chittagong which used to serve as major outlets for rainwater and drainage system have created major logging problems in these cities. It is a basic tenet of city planning to preserve open spaces, and protect lakes, wetland areas and canal encroachment in order to maintain natural and environmental characteristics of the city. But the powerful land grabbers and real estate developers taking advantage of the housing boom illegally filled up natural wetland, retention ponds, lakes and main canals for construction of buildings and housing estates. RAJUK or CDA or Department of Environment have failed to preserve the topographical features and protect the cities from the uncontrolled rainwater flooding. Rain is inevitable in monsoon- fed Bangladesh but now an hour of heavy rain creates temporary flooding and long periods of water logging in the low lying suburban areas. Expansion of metropolitan cities are a part of inevitable process of economic growth but urban expansion is occurring without any control, supervision or future plan due to the incompetence, corruption and indifference of the city development authorities and the city corporation. The government must take up a comprehensive plan to improve the drainage system, reclaim and recover the flow of blocked and close major 'khals' and protect the wetlands and retention ponds to save our citizens from water logging.