Waterlogging chokes capital
Thousands across the capital suffered immensely as yesterdays rain, which was recorded as 146 mm by the meteorological department, not only flooded a number of areas in the city but also created an unbearable traffic clog in most parts as the logged water took a lot of time to flush away.
People from all walks of life, especially office goers, suffered the most due to the Waterlogging and unavailability of vehicles and long traffic queues only compounded the sufferings for the commuters.
There was knee-deep water clogged in front of my house. I waited some time to get out from my house, but now I cant find any vehicle, said Asruf ul Jubair, a resident of Azimpur area in the capital.
Like Jubair, many other commuters were also stranded on their way to work due to traffic congestion caused by severe water-logging. As time passed, the traffic jam increased instead of easing out. The congestion spiralled on the streets causing thousands of vehicles to remain stuck in tailback.
Water levels reached knee-deep and above in other places as well. Mirpur, Shanitanagar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Rajarbagh all faced similar problems. Heavy rain also sunk many areas of Old Dhaka including Lakkhibazar, Nazim Udidn Road, Bakshi Bazar, Sutrapur and Bongshal.
Knee-deep water isnt something one expects to see inside the teachers quarters at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). After all, the countrys finest brains live here. However, this was exactly what the picture was after the heavy downpour in the city yesterday.
Even after moderate rain, the area submerges into water as this is a low-lying area, said Dr Sabbir Mostafa Khan, Head of Department, Water Resources, and a resident of the BUET quarter near Lalbagh.
The problem is with BUET. We have created our own drainage system and channel out all the logged water within a short span of time. But our quarter is adjacent to Lalbagh area where the number of high rise buildings has risen manifold in the last few years. Since the area has an insufficient drainage system, the logged water from the area flooded our quarter as well, said Dr Khan.
This happens because of unplanned urbanisation, he added.
Sayeed Khokon, Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation visited the Shantinagar area of the capital to get a sense of the water-logging there first hand. He later told the media that the civic body will soon sit with the Dhaka Wasa and Rajuk to find a permanent solution to the Waterlogging issue in the capital.
Waterlogging cant be tackled by a single authority. We all need to work on the matter, Khokon told the media.
Dhaka Wasa, the prime state-owned agency tasked with maintaining the citys drainage and sewerage system, turned on the pumping stations immediately in Lalmatia, Mouchak, Kallyanpur, Dholaikhal, Rampura and Kamlapur to drain the rain water.
Speaking to The Independent, Kamrul Alam Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa (Operation and Maintenance) said that yesterdays rain was nearly 146 mm. Its a heavy downpour. The existing drainage system is not capable enough to handle the water-logging caused by such heavy rain. But we are trying our best, he said.
Dhaka Wasa, with the help of Korean company Kunhwa Engineering, has started expanding 376 kilometres of water pipelines across the capital, he informed, adding that the Wasa had prepared a master plan titled Storm Water Drainage Master Plan to reduce water-logging in the capital city.
The master plan has been prepared by Dhaka Wasa in co-operation with Jurutera Perunding Zaaba Sdm Bhd of Malaysia, Farhat Consulting Engineers and Architects Ltd and SARM Associates Limited under the Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Project.
Upon the implementation of the master plan, the city will be in much better shape after such heavy rain, the Dhaka Wasa Deputy MD said.
According to Dr Sarwar Jahan, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at BUET, the sewage system covers only 60 per cent of the citys population. About 50 per cent of the urban waste is allowed to decompose and putrefy on the roadside. Quite a substantial part of it goes into open drains, choking them permanently. So, even after a mild shower, water cannot flow through the drains and inundates the road and the few open spaces left after haphazard construction of apartment blocks, he told The Independent.
Dr Jahan said that construction companies had made illegal encroachments and built apartment blocks in low- lying areas without leaving any arrangement for the outflow of rain water or waste water even in normal situations.
