City dwellers are unlikely to get respite from waterlogging during this monsoon as the authorities blame each other for the situation without resolving the problem, officials said.
The utility agencies developed many projects and spent billions of taka over the years to overcome the vexing problem but the city people got little benefits of the investments.
This was mainly due to the lack of coordination among the state agencies responsible for giving the urbanites a let-up from waterlogging, officials and experts said.
The city dwellers have witnessed water stagnation in many areas for the last few days due to moderate rainfall, which highlights the city's poor drainage system.
The two major players of the capital's drainage system are Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) and both parts of Dhaka City Corporation.
On the other hand, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) is responsible for preserving wetlands and floodplains around the capital wherein rainwater is discharged. But RAJUK has been failing in its duty to preserve wetlands and floodplains.
It indicates that the city residents are unlikely to get any respite from the problem anytime soon.
Apart from lack of coordination, officials and urban planners cited other key factors such as inadequate drainage system and gradual disappearance of natural drainage system due to unplanned urbanisation exacerbated the problem.
Encroachment on lakes and water bodies and indiscriminate disposal of solid waste into the drains were also blamed for the waterlogged condition during heavy to moderate rainfall.
When contacted, DWASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said his agency looks after only one-fourth pipelines of the total 2,000-km storm-water drainage that falls under the city corporations.
He said they took several measures like cleaning of the underground drainage, re-excavating existing canals and installing temporary pumping stations to drain out the storm water quickly.
Asked whether the city people would experience waterlogging problem, Mr Khan said they would put in their maximum efforts to reduce such sufferings.
"DWASA alone cannot resolve it.
We'll clean up the main drainage line, which is our part. But frequent disposal of solid waste into the drains make things worse," he said.
Local government division has already identified nine critical points in the city and formed 10 vigilance teams to execute short-term plan of actions during this monsoon.
The critical points include secretariat, journalist colony in Mirpur, Rokeya Swarani, Kazipara-Shewrapara, Dhanmondi-27, Shantinagar-Malibagh, Motijheel, Nikunja-Kuril Flyover and Prime Minister's Office.
Talking to the FE, DWASA superintending engineer (drainage, operation and maintenance) Mizanur Rahman said they start removing 14,300 cubic metres of sludge from Segunbagicha box-culvert alongside cleaning up of 290 kilometre-storm water pipe.
He said they operate four permanent storm-water pump stations at Dholaikhal, Kalyanpur, Rampura and Kamalapur of the capital.
The four stations have the combined capacity to pump out 82,000 litres per second.
On the other hand, Goran-Chadbari pump station under the Bangladesh Water Development Board also can do the same.
At the same time, the construction of 15 temporary pumping stations is in progress.
Over the years, many projects involving large amount of money were executed to successfully deal with the problem.
For example, DWASA implemented two storm water pumping stations projects (Rampura and Kamalapur) at Tk 2.29 billion, while Tk 1.12 billion will be spent for the development of canals.
But things are not improving. In some areas, it is deteriorating. For example, there were 75 kilometers of open canals in 2016 but the area shrank to 65 kilometers in 2017.
DWSA superintending engineer (research and development) Showkat Mahmud said they have started implementing two new projects worth over Tk 11.5 billion to re-excavate canals and expand the drainage network.
He said box-culverts damaged the city's drainage system while the filling up of canals, low-lying areas and floodplains around the city rendered it a "bucket of water."
"Once the projects are executed, the problem will largely be resolved," he said.
Chief executive officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Khan Mohammad Bilal said the problem erupted because of the poor maintenance of the drainage system by the DWASA.
He said city corporations are responsible for maintaining 75 per cent of the capital's total drainage system, which is called surface drains.
"We connected those lines to the DWASA's main line. But the poor maintenance of the lines causes water congestion that leads to the temporary inundation," he said.
He also said a city should have 10 to 12 per cent water-retention ponds.
Generally, rainwater passes through these retention ponds into canals.
But Dhaka now has only three to four per cent retention ponds.
When contacted, urban planner Mobashwer Hossain said the surface drains are clogged with solid waste, which the city corporations never clean up.
Box-culverts at various locations almost became non-functional because solid waste became concrete-like materials, blocking smooth water flow and it has never been cleaned up by the DWASA.
And the capital development authority, RAJUK, is allowing the development work in the low-lying areas, which were used as natural drainage system, he said.
"So, how can we expect to get respite from the problem?" he asked.
He laid emphasis on bringing all the agencies concerned under one umbrella for addressing the city's one of the most pressing problems.
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