Living amid water-logging has become a grim reality for the people of various places of our country, including the capital. It seems the problem has become perennial. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, about 1,000 students, teachers, and guardians have been facing severe inconvenience due to water-logging on the field of Dewhata AJ High School under Mirzapur upazila of Tangail. The school, located near the Dhaka-Tangail highway, goes under water even after a light shower.

How will the students and teachers of the school move if the school field remains under water even after a light or moderate rainfall? The water-logging is a stumbling block in the arrangement of sports, assembly, and other activities of the school. The problem is not only persisting at the Tangail school alone, several schools at Nilphamari district are also reportedly facing the same problem. There might be many more schools all over the country.  

Is proper education possible in such a confined condition? Besides, the water-logging exposes the students to skin diseases as they have to walk through polluted and stagnant water every day during rainy season.  

In fact, ditches, canals and other water bodies have been filled up or encroached upon leaving very little scope for rainwater to go its way, triggering water-logging. Eliminating the perennial water-logging problem will be an uphill task unless the natural drainage network is restored through reclaiming canals and water bodies from grabbers. Over the years, water-logging problem has assumed a formidable challenge for the successive governments.

Many canals and water bodies of the country including those in the capital city have been grabbed by unscrupulous people. They have constructed residential and commercial buildings disregarding the law of the land. Rainwater flow is being obstructed due to unplanned urbanisation, construction of roads and houses and other structures occupying canals and water bodies. One-third areas of Dhaka city could not yet be brought under the coverage of drainage system for lack of canals, while the drains and storm-sewerage lines remain clogged with wastes for not cleaning those regularly.  The water-logging problem of all schools including the one at Tangail warrants immediate solution. There is no scope of ignoring a problem where education of students is concerned.