Dhaka’s waterlogging: At least implement law banning polythene

The hours of rain on Friday is a testament that citizens go through intolerable sufferings if the city is not well-planned where drainage system is not up to the mark. This is not the first instance of Dhaka going under water in heavy downpour, but there is no instance of government taking any effective and sustainable steps to this end.

Accroding to a Prothom Alo report, two city corporations of Dhaka spent at least Tk 7.3 billion to address Dhaka’s waterlogging problem. Dhaka WASA earlier spent over Tk 20 billion to mitigate the waterlogging crisis. All these spending did little to free the city dwellers from waterlogging.

As yesterday, Friday, was weekly holiday, there were lesser number of vehicles and people on the roads. Yet, broken down vehicles were found motionless in deluged roads in the city. The situation had turned so bad that the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at around 12 noon requested the city dwellers to set out with sufficient time in hand to reach their destinations.

As per met office bulletin, Dhaka recorded some 60 millimetres of rain in three hours from 6:30 am to 9:30 am Friday. Most of the streets and alleyways of the city get submerged in the downpour while houses and businesses went under water. Although the rain subsided at noon, many areas were under water even till Saturday morning.

Waterlogging can take place in any city in case of heavy downpour. But there should be proper drainage system. Before 2021, Dhaka Wasa was mainly responsible to look after Dhaka’s drainage system. The city corporations blame Wasa for any waterlogging at that time. On 31 December 31 in 2020, Dhaka Wasa officially handed over the main responsibilities (canals and drainage) to the two city corporations of Dhaka.

Dhaka south city corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Nur on 12 February last year committed that the water will be drained within 15 minutes even in case of heavy downpour in the city. In 2017, the then local government minister Khandaker Mosharrof Hossain said, “I promise you that there will be no waterlogging in the city next year.”

We have heard many assurances and commitments from many past and present officials dealing with waterlogging. Such promises will surely be heard in the future. But that won't solve the problem. Bypassing the main problem and slipshod activities will not reduce the waterlogging.

First of all, canals should be kept free from pollution and encroachment for drainage. Drainage system should be improved. According to environmental experts, the main reason behind flooding in Dhaka city is the production and use of polythene and plastic, which are extremely harmful to the environment. The government does not have to make a new law to fight the polythene menace. It can at least implement the law passed in 2002 banning polythene shopping bags.

Besides the government, the citizens too have responsibilities about this problem. If the citizens continue to litter everywhere, then just as the drainage system of their areas will become ineffective, the canals and drains will also turn into garbage dumps. When will the residents of Dhaka understand what is good and what is bad for them?