It was recently reported that the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has decided to set up ward-wise rapid response teams to deal with water-logging during continuous rain. With the monsoon already aggravated by a low-pressure system over Gangetic West Bengal, Dhaka’s long-standing issue of waterlogging is once again back in focus. In this case, the DSCC's action reflects an effort to create structured, locally-responsive and rapid response to an issue that is incredibly disruptive of urban life.
Dhaka experienced 45mm of rain in 24 hours, said the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, which predicted more rain in days ahead. Residents face tightened shutters from flooded roads, traffic chaos, sanitation nightmares and financial losses. For years, the drainage infrastructure in Dhaka has not kept pace with its rapidly expanding population and haphazard urban development.
The DSCC’s decision to hire waste management workers for every ward, set up a central control room and to make special emergency teams in all areas is a departure from this centralist, top-down approach. The corporation is also promoting civic participation by establishing a hotline round-the-clock (01709900888) and asking the people to inform them if they find a drainage clogged or the area under water. This collaborative method promotes a shared responsibility and is much quicker to find and fix failures.
To move away from temporary solutions, the
DSCC needs to focus on a durable master plan
for drainage, including repair of canals,
prevention of encroachments and
improvement of effluent treatment
facilities
But even as such short-term, emergency measures are necessary and praiseworthy, they do little to address Dhaka’s underlying waterlogging crisis. The city’s drainage system is antiquated and overwhelmed. They have been built over canals or filled, natural water retention zones have disappeared and garbage-clogged drains block the free flow of rainwater. These are not problems that emergency teams can fix — they cry out for long-term city planning and infrastructure investment.
To move away from temporary solutions, the DSCC needs to focus on a durable master plan for drainage, including repair of canals, prevention of encroachments and improvement of effluent treatment facilities. Routine upkeep of stormwater drains, their digitised monitoring and real-time flood mapping need to be embedded in city management. Moreover, concerted action between the lead agencies – DNCC, WASA and RAJUK – will be crucial to minimise overlapping roles and bureaucratic duplication.
Public awareness also plays a critical role. Without proper disposal of waste from the residents and businesses, the most sophisticated drainage systems are rendered useless. DSCC needs to carry out awareness campaigns along with drives it said to create a culture of responsibility.
The formation of DSCC’s ward-based emergency teams and immediate opening of a control room is a major as well as strategic gain in emergency response. It is an expression of a new, citizen-led way of managing the city. However, this initiative needs to be a part of a larger framework which addresses the systemic causes of waterlogging through policy change, infrastructure improvement and environmental conservation. What Dhaka needs is not just a reactive plan but a forward-looking one, one would remake its urban scape into a place that’s liveable, resilient and prepared for the future.
