Md. Shafiqul Islam
The river is the gift of nature and part of our environment. However, some of our daily activities are destroying and occupying these rivers in different areas. If the rivers on all four sides of Dhaka are free from pollution and get free navigability, it will protect our climate.
Many projects should be undertaken from various ministries, directorates or agencies for the development of the capital, including freeing the river, preventing pollution, and increasing navigability. Many departments of the Bangladesh government have already taken up many projects. However, there should be commission to check and select multiple projects to not overlapping for the same work in the project.
Ninety percent of these rivers are occupied, and in some places, there are mosques, temples, and religious institutions, causing minor complications. However, it will be resolved soon. Moreover, preventing pollution and increasing navigability related activities of the rivers has slowed down during the Covid-19 epidemic.
The canals and drainage systems have been officially handed over from Dhaka WASA to the two city corporations. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Dhaka WASA and two city corporations in this regard. As a result, the two city corporations now assume the full responsibility of eliminating waterlogging in Dhaka. Earlier, Dhaka WASA used to fulfil the lion’s share of this responsibility. Through this, in my opinion, the drainage of rains and floods in Dhaka city will get more dynamic. Illegal constructions on both sides of the canal will also have to be removed, re-excavated to increase water holding capacity, embankments to be greened, walkways and bicycle lanes to be constructed. The road that is being discussed along the Balu river must be ‘elevated’.
There are about 100 canals in Dhaka. If the channels of these canals become active, there will be no waterlogging in the capital. To the extent waterlogging has affected the people of Dhaka cannot be overstated. If it rained a little, there would be water in key avenues of the capital, which has cause daily miseries to the people. While Dhaka WASA has the primary responsibility to resolve this, the City Corporation also plays an important role. Bangladesh Water Development Board, RAJUK, Cantonment Board, and private housing companies are also involved.
Dhaka WASA maintains and operates 26 canals (about 60 km) and about 365 km of large drains and four pump stations in the city to remove waterlogging. The people do not seem to have benefited from its management. Hatirjheel and Dhanmondi Lake were once connected through the Rajabazar canal.
The Rajabazar canal is no more today, but a detailed plan must be taken for how Hatirjheel, Dhanmondi Lake, can be reconnected. Some people think that most of the canals in Dhaka are occupied and filled with garbage. To alleviate waterlogging, the original Buriganga channel must be rescued, the navigability of the rivers around Dhaka must be increased, and boundary pillars must be erected. However, there are allegations of corruption in the border pillars because the pillars are not built at the river’s exact boundary at the time of installation. However, this should not have happened in any way.
In many parts of Dhaka, it is difficult to breathe; there is a bad smell come from drains. Therefore, it is imperative to clean the drains in Dhaka and make them suitable for human habitation. I think people will have the opportunity to live in a healthy environment. The canals and drains in Dhaka city do not seem to be under anyone’s responsibility; one authority thinks it is another authority’s work. When the City Corporation is in charge, the people are very optimistic about the role of mayors.
All the significant buildings that have been constructed daily in Dhaka city should be constructed through environment-friendly plans. The concerned department will have to expeditiously implement the court order to clear the canals, ditches, and surrounding rivers in Dhaka.
The National River Protection Commission should be further strengthened to resolve coordination with other concerned agencies and institutions until the reformation of current law so that the rivers free work can move forward as expected. The City Corporation is making significant efforts to decontaminate various rivers and canals. I am very hopeful that this time people will breathe in the beautiful and pure air. Above all, the eviction of illegal structures around Turag, Buriganga, Shitalakshya, Balu rivers, drains, and canals are significant to free water flow.
The writer is a faculty of Department of Accounting & Information Systems, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Bangladesh and Ph.D. Fellow, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China.
