ROAD submerged in rainwater causing extreme public suffering remain a perennial crisis for Dhaka. A photograph published in 抖阴精品 on September 15 showed how public buses are wading through rainwater collected on a road in the Mirpur area of the capital. Pedestrians are walking in knee-high water. In addition to traffic congestion and suffering for commuters, there are other risks, as waterlogged roads are often a death trap. In September 2023, four pedestrians, including three of a family, were electrocuted to death on a submerged road near Mirpur Commerce College after heavy rain created waterlogging in the area. Unmarked potholes on a submerged road are also a cause of many road accidents. There is the public health issue of stagnant water becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes, leading to risks of diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, which is already wreaking havoc in the city. The reality depicted in the photograph demonstrates the collapse of the drainage system and failure of city authorities responsible for maintaining the drains and sewerage system in Dhaka.
The causes of waterlogging are public knowledge. An ineffective sewerage system, an uncoordinated and ineffective waste management system and the encroachment of canals are primarily blamed for the persistent crisis. The drains are clogged with plastic and other forms of solid waste. According to one study, about 5,000 tonnes of waste are being generated in Dhaka every day, and only half of that amount is properly collected and dumped, while the other half remains untreated, clogging the drains and canals. Indiscriminate dumping of household waste has resulted in narrowing of canals in the city. Encroachment of canals also contributed to the problem. In Tolarbagh, Ahmednagar, and Paikpara, waterlogging stems from the complete encroachment of the Kalyanpur Main Khal behind Bangla College. Many of the 144 big and small canals in the city have lost their original state for lack of dredging. A 2019 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners revealed that Dhaka has lost 3,440 acres out of 9,556 acres of designated flood flow zones, retention areas and water bodies since the publication of the previous Detailed Area Plan in 2010. The city authorities have taken several initiatives to improve the situation, but it is uncertain when the citizen can enjoy the benefit of these actions.
Waterlogging is a case of governance failure and a result of unplanned, unruly urban development. The government needs to undertake the task of reclaiming and restoring water bodies in all urban centres so rainwater drainage systems become functional. Citizens must also play their role in keeping the city clean. There is no other solution to this perennial crisis.