Nagging waterlogging in Uttara to go

The work of the 25-kilometre drainage goes on at Uttara town. Land digging for the project in the area is causing serious traffic congestion at some points.Photo: STAR

At long last, the Uttara Model Town, set up around four decades ago, is going to have an underground drainage system.
Once the drainage work is completed, waterlogging problem in Uttara will reduce significantly.
However, the residents of the area will have to wait two more years to enjoy full storm sewerage as the installation work is likely to be completed by 2010.
Although Uttara, as a model town, was supposed to be serene zone, it already has started acquiring the typical problems of a claustrophobic city and waterlogging is one of them. In the rainy season, many roads of different sectors of the town go under feet-to-knee-deep water.
“Better late than never”, said Dil Afroze, a resident of Sector 7 area. “Thanks to the authorities for coming to our rescue. We have been suffering from waterlogging for years. We want completion of the drainage work as early as possible,” she said.
The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is implementing the 25-kilometre long drainage in the area under a project named 'Removal of Waterlogging in Dhaka' (RWLP).
Under the project, Wasa started digging deeper into the ground for about 7 kilometres drainage work in Uttara in January. Once completed, it will wash away the rainwater and a part of surface drain water of the area to Abdullahpur Canal, nearby the Tongi Bridge. The rest of the project will be done in the coming years, Wasa sources said.
“With completion of the drainage system, waterlogging situation in the area will improve remarkably and the pressure on the Uttara lake will also be reduced,” said engineer Waliullah Sikder, project director of RWLP.
“We started the Tk 203 crore project in 2001 to improve the drainage system all over the capital and have already completed work in many areas. Drainage work is also going on in some other areas like Maghbazar, Nayatola and Khilgaon”, he said.
He also said, “Since Uttara has the lion's share of the project we started the work in Uttara giving priority to some areas. We will finish about 7 kilometre drainage work this year.”
In the first phase, the main drains will be installed and it is expected to be completed by May this year since the rainy season starts usually from June, he said.
Waterlogging in the rainy season becomes a major problem for Uttara residents and on completion of the system water will fall into Abdullahpur canal through these drainage lines, he said.
Uttara is a vast area and it is becoming populated like other areas of the city with buildings and structures mushrooming in the recent past, he said. “We are hoping to cover all the sectors within the stipulated time.”
Sikder said the project was supposed to end in 2007. But they have sent a fresh proposal to the ministry concerned for extending time.
Another Wasa official said, Uttara was surrounded by low-lying lands in the past and water used to drift to these areas. But with the pace of time the residential area was extended intensifying the waterlogging problem.
He also said Wasa realised the waterlogging problem in the model town long ago but there were many related areas in the city which needed to be addressed first. That is why Wasa started to work in Uttara this year, he added.
In the meantime, the residents of Uttara alleged they have been experiencing difficulties in moving around for the last couple of weeks as Wasa dug many roads, piled up earth on the roadside and blocked some major thoroughfares with large pipes.
Moksud Reza, an official at a private university in Uttara, said Wasa did not give us any notice before starting the work. We are suffering serious traffic congestion in many roads especially in the morning hours, he added.
“In one morning while going to my office, I saw the road I usually go by was blocked with huge pipes. When I asked my rickshaw to take another road I found it packed like sardines with school and office goers as they had no other alternative,” he said.
Aked about the notice, the Wasa authorities said they hung large red banners in front of Mascot Plaza on Sonargaon Janapath and other areas before starting the work.
The residents have to consider the reasons for such difficulties till the drainage works is finished, they said.
“But this is probably the beginning of another phase of suffering. Why have they started it ahead of the rainy season instead of winter?”, remarked an elderly resident of the model town.