Dhaka’s waterlogging: An end to its dwellers’ suffering is urgently needed

Residents of the capital experience immense suffering whenever there is moderate to heavy rainfall even for several hours. On Sunday’s light to heavy downpour wrecked havoc across Dhaka, triggering severe waterlogging in almost all parts of the city, including its business hub Mottijheel, leaving them under knee- to chest-deep water.

Earlier on Saturday’s rain at least 103 locations across Dhaka became submerged. They include 65 spots within the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) area and 38 within the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area. City residents endure immense suffering as roads and footpaths in these areas remain submerged in water for hours on end.

Needless to say, the reality depicted in the newspaper reports is not merely a tale of the residents’ boundless hardship; rather, it stands as a stark testament to the utter failure and lack of foresight in our urban management. Why spending crores of taka every year for the improvement of the drainage system just went into vain?

For years, this monsoon-induced nightmare has persisted right under the very noses of the country’s two wealthiest and most influential local government bodies — the DNCC and the SNCC. Everyone, from the engineers of both the city corporations to ordinary residents, is well aware of the reasons behind this waterlogging and the ways to resolve it.

Regrettably, despite knowing all the remedies for a solution, no immediate resolution to this long-standing crisis in capital Dhaka is in sight – solely due to a lack of well-planned initiatives, sincerity, and administrative coordination.

It is worth noting that the full responsibility for stormwater drainage was transferred from Dhaka WASA to the two city corporations towards the end of 2020. However, more than five years later, this massive undertaking is still being managed in a makeshift manner – due to the absence of a dedicated department and a lack of skilled personnel – thereby further exacerbating the crisis.

Moreover, water bodies and retention areas surrounding Dhaka city are being indiscriminately filled in, and the natural drainage paths of canals have been permanently blocked by converting them into box culverts. Compounding this situation are the gross incompetence of the two city corporations and the lack of adequate outlets and pumping stations.

We believe that to permanently free the residents of Dhaka from the curse of waterlogging, policymakers must immediately step forward with an integrated, responsive, and sustainable roadmap. To this end, cutting through bureaucratic red tape, it is essential to urgently approve dedicated drainage departments – equipped with necessary modern machinery for water drainage – and a skilled technical workforce structure for both city corporations.