The Dhaka city drainage system, waste disposal management is in deep crisis. Even a moderate rain now makes Dhaka flooded for hours. It comes as curse for commuters, office goers, schoolchildren and in fact life almost comes to a standstill. It makes situation worse as in normal working days terrible gridlocks in Dhaka city creates unbearable pains and agonies for citizens. Government agencies and private sector need to implement well thought plans to confront the communication problem, waste disposal management and modern drainage system development involving all stakeholders like civil society, media and NGOs under leadership of city mayors.

For a Bangladeshi Australian living in the best livable city of the world Melbourne, a short occasional stay in Dhaka can easily make feel frustrated, agitated and anxious. It hurts, it pains feeling the woos of the city dwellers, commuters and hard working day-to-day earners. The mega city has grown in all proportion but most of the facilities for the city dwellers starting from sanitation, water supply, communication facilities, security arrangement, and safe movements have not been expanded.

A city of over 150 million people living in not too big an area is now one of the congested cities of the world. In a congested city planning and implementing provision of water supply, power and gas supply, sanitation facilities, transport and communication, waste disposal and drainage system development is a huge challenge. City is now divided into two parts. But city mayor in absence of well-coordinated metropolitan governance have little or no control over service providing agencies. Poorly coordinated service providers working on standalone basis often creates chaos and indiscipline and add to the woos.

This write up will address some major problems and try to make some suggestions and recommendations.

Waste Disposal and Drainage System Development
Over 150 million city dwellers create huge wastes everyday including solid wastes. Many bio non-gradable wastes thrown into inadequate and poorly planned drainage system clogs the drains. Consequently, moderate rains create flooding and make movement in city roads hazardous. For a modern city, such situation is unacceptable. In all modern cities wastes are collected at every house in a disciplined manner and are collected on weekly basis by City Corporation. Three categories of wastes are collected in three different bins – garden wastes, recycled products (plastic, polythene bags, papers etc) and waste food materials (kitchens wastes) are separately collected and disposed in a disciplined manner. There is no chance of disposing any wastes anyway into drains and waterways.  Bangladesh cannot adopt such system straightway. But city corporation can introduce this as pilot project in some areas like Uttara, Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi and Cantonment areas. The solid wastes can even be used for power generation.

This has to become a social movement requiring a major social campaign in print and electronic media, in schools and among civil society. A properly coordinated waste management is go a long way in confronting water logging as no amount of drainage system can handle the present mess.

Improved Drainage System:
 
Dhaka has not expanded horizontally. The vertically extension has been done in many cases filling canals and water bodies which earlier used to drain out rainwater. Many city canals cease to exist. Many attempts to retrieve those canals have failed. As such existing canals cannot handle the drainage of water from medium to heavy rain. Recovery of major city canals has become extremely essential now. Moreover, many city adjacent water bodies and some parts of four rivers around the city Buriganga, Sitalkhya, Turag and Balu have gone under occupation of land grabbers. Lack of dredging over the years has drastically reduced the water holding capacity of these rivers. Moreover, water of these rivers has become dirty and polluted. Many of these offenders are government party cadres and influential persons. It is not that policy makers are unaware of these. Prime Minister often talks about necessity of City Circular River ways. The recovery drive of city canals, freeing rivers of illegal occupation and capital dredging of four rivers hardly got any momentum. Many major cities have grown along one river only. The river creates many opportunities of the city. Dhaka is blessed with four rivers. These are gift of God for us which we are neglecting. The Detail Area Plan (DAP) became a neglected document. DAP has guidelines about retaining all water bodies in planned manner. But properties builders many of whom are active in polluted politics of the country have put DAP in suspended animation. All Dhaka Mega City Members of the Parliament must be accounted for that. PMO must look into DAP and talk with those who were involved in DAP formulation.

For improved drainage system of Dhaka city recommend the following

Set up a high powered steering committee under PMO for policing implementation of the following---

  • Freeing four city surrounding rivers from illegal grabbing and occupation. Permanently define river boundaries and construct city circular road along river banks.
 • Recover some major city canals if necessary through relocation of some people for reestablishing the water drainage system.
 • Strictly implementing municipal waste collection and disposal system
 •Launch a drive for cleanliness of river water putting a full stop to all illegal dumping of wastes and effluent into river waters.
 •Carrying out capital dredging of rivers for increasing water holding capacity.
 •Conducting campaign in media and educational institutions about waste disposal and waste management.

Dhaka is growing and it will continue to grow. Government alone can do little in managing many critical problems of the city many of which has ringed alarm bells. Citizens’ movement is urgently required to save the city. We as Bangladeshis feel deeply frustrated when Dhaka is dubbed as the second worst livable city of the world.

We living in Melbourne can definitely assist Dhaka in many ways in dealing with management of wastes, improving drainage system. Melbourne Lord Mayor or many city corporation mayors can be approached for assistance in the shape of capacity building of Dhaka City Mayor offices. We Bangladeshi Australians can assist as well in developing a long-term Melbourne Dhaka twin city concept. At present, many persons may think it wild dream .But sincere approach from Bangladeshi policy makers can make it possible. Work has to start in small areas and gradually build on.

Dhaka is our city. In our childhood and youth we grew in a beautiful city. We cannot keep our fingers crossed leaving everything on Government alone to handle .Few matters is going out of hand almost. Only a coordinated action plan involving all stake holders can save Dhaka from ongoing and emerging crisis.

BDST: 1016 HRS, SEP 06, 2015
RS