Area-wise schooling for a better Dhaka but means nothing for implementation

DAP proposes ‘school districts’ to ease traffic, alongside building roads, linking waterways. In the new Detailed Area Plan (DAP), the government has proposed a concept that may very well usher in a liveable and sustainable Dhaka city, one free of traffic jams: “school districts”.
According to the plan, the authorities have suggested building 627 schools, 285 colleges, and 287 hospitals. Students will have to be admitted to schools near their residences. After this is implemented, further construction of institutions will be limited. If a new institution is required after assessing the necessity in a particular area, they will be built there. Education ministry will have to play a vital role in this regard, and the relevant authority will provide a guideline based on DAP. The plan’s review committee will also be involved in implementation.
 As per experts, this initiative is crucial to resolve the current situation, buy land and funds are required under separate projects for the concept’s implementation. The new DAP has been prepared by dividing the project area into six distinct main regions and 75 sub-regions. To ensure proper use of land, different areas have been identified as residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, institutional, water body, forest, open space, and flood-prone.
To improve Dhaka’s connectivity with nearby cities, DAP also proposes six metro rails, two bus rapid transits (BRT), six elevated expressways, two main roads parallel to the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, ring roads, and circular waterways. It recommends 13 inter-city bus terminals around Dhaka and two truck terminals. It also proposes a “blue network”. This network will be created by linking rivers, canals and other natural water bodies. A specific proposal is there to take immediate steps to make a waterway network stretching for 574 km.
 DAP also suggests constructing a park on 425 acres of land in Keraniganj. It also proposes an urban-redevelopment project by identifying different sites in Old Dhaka and ensuring basic facilities there. The main objective of block-based housing is to construct high-rise buildings by incorporating relatively small plots and keeping sufficient open spaces. This will save lowlands and farmlands and ensure efficient urbanisation.
As there is a shortage of land, this housing initiative is essential, because the best use of land can be ensured. Making the city liveable should be top priority but to do this all facilities should not be concentrated in the city only.