Latest media focuses seem to portend a flood like situation to visit Dhaka city this year. Thus, the government needs to take proactive measures , starting immediately, to be ready to face any flood like situation in the capital city. Amid the corona virus threat, the government is already seen under huge pressures of all kinds to maintain a semblance of normalcy in the country. If in this situation, government has to cope with a devastating flood, specially in the country’s nerve center, Dhaka city and its adjoining areas, then its coping ability could be severely stressed. Therefore, it is important to put in place a flood coping mechanism for the capital city at the fastest before the calamity descends on us with an unprepared and complacent administration getting caught up in the mess.
The showers for some hours experienced in Dhaka city during the last fortnight left enough indications to worry seriously about conditions in the city during the monsoon rains in the coming months. For the monsoon period is expected to last at least two months till September. If a shower for some hours can create such waterlogged or nearly flooded conditions in so many parts of the city as have been happening and receiving wide media focus, then the concern cannot help but cross citizens’ minds about how their mobility would be affected in what could be worse conditions in the rest of the monsoon season. Weather forecasts suggest continuing of heavy and regular rainfall in the upper parts of the rivers that flow from India into Bangladesh. As it is, some parts of northern Bangladesh already remain under flood waters and the same are seen as rolling downwards towards central and southern part of the country including Dhaka. Latest press reports say that the flood waters have already reached the lower areas in the outskirts of the city.
Internationally received short and mid term weather forecast for Bangladesh and South Asia is not a favourable one. Exceptional heavy rains are projected in the current monsoon period for South Asia and Bangladesh might have to bear a brunt of it. Thus, people in Dhaka city have reasons to be very worried about their daily transportation related ordeals. The city’s drainage conditions as these exist, seem hardly able to cope with the need to discharge accumulated rain waters. The waters are draining off now, albeit slowly. But such draining away of the rain waters may come to a stop if rainfall is even intermittent for some days at a stretch. Already, flood like appearances are noted in some low lying parts of the city from such precarious drainage conditions.
The waterlogging problem in the city is a chronic one and it was sought to be taken care of by various man made drainage projects under different governments. But the projects were carried out on a piecemeal basis that did not cover many affected areas. Besides, the projects were also not found to be completed up to satisfaction. As it is, the waters in the rivers in and around Dhaka are now at a level which is helping the draining away of rain waters although this is taking a longer time. But the water levels in the rivers are likely to rise if heavy rains fall on the city or flood waters from upstreams keep rolling in heavily downwards, in line with the weather forecasts. In that case without an efficient and workable drainage system in place , a worse city flood is likely this year.
Thus, the authorities need to take timely actions to spare the city’s residents from the great distresses of worse waterlogging or city flood. Box culverts that drain rain and sewer waters in many parts of the city remain in clogged conditions from all kinds of waste matters and rubbish which get dumped in them. Manhole covers are found missing in many areas that similarly facilitate solid wastes to get inside the sewer lines to create blocking effects. The manhole covers need to be replaced immediately and the maintenance of manholes should be ensured along with the thorough cleaning of them. The entire lengths of the surface drains and storm sewers should be immediately flushed clean . Sufficient number of pumps should be installed in different parts of the city for the pumping out of rain and flood waters. These preparations need to be taken on highest priority basis.
It is imperative to set up a task force right away to cope with a probable city flood. It should adequately empowered and resourced to work on emergency footing. Its objective must be to make a plan with short term components to help people in the city to maintain normalcy even amid flooded conditions. Its main lookout needs to be preventing large scale flooding of the city by pressing into service a far greater number of pumps than what have been planned so far.
However, for a long lasting solution of waterlogging, the natural drainage conditions of the city must be fully restored. There existed some 26 canals and hundreds of large and small ponds and marshlands or wetlands in and around Dhaka even in the early seventies. But the canals were encroached upon and filled up. Steps are needed to be taken very urgently to preserve and improve the remaining natural drainage channels and recover the encroached ones .
