Rajuk wants expansion of water retention areas

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha in the draft revised Detailed Area Plan of the capital proposes a fourfold  expansion of the existing water retention areas of the capital aiming to resolve the waterlogging problem.

Since the agency could not protect the retention areas marked out in the outgoing DAP, city planners and environmental experts seem not too enthusiastic about the proposal.

The outgoing DAP, which expired in 2016 but still in effect until the approval of a new plan, proposed for keeping 5,540 acres of land to be preserved as retention areas in the capital but the capital had only 1,744 acres of land for retaining water as had been found by RAJUK study conducted in 2016 for formulating a revised DAP for the tenure between 2016 and 2035.

The proposed retention areas could not be protected as both the government and private developers built structures on the ponds in the capital, in the foreshore of Dhaka rivers and in the vast low-lying areas on the outskirts of the city, resulting in bouts of waterlogging in the capital during the monsoon.

The canals and primary drainage lines had already been clogged for abrupt disposal of solid wastes for which roads of the capital go under water even after moderate shower.  

National River Conservation Commission chairman Md Muzibur Rahman Howlader said that the problem of waterlogging in the capital increased as water bodies disappeared while the authorities had not been able to develop a suitable drainage system.

‘The retention areas shown in the existing DAP was grossly violated by the government and private entities who developed structures on ponds, canals, in foreshores of rivers and in low-lying areas which led to the disruption of the already inadequate drainage system,’ he said.

Dhaka’s existing drainage system was designed for draining out up to 55mm of rainwater in a day and the roads go under water when it rains over 100mm in a very short period of time, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority’s director AKM Shahid Uddin said.

The draft of the revised DAP, proposes an increase in the retention land in the capital from the existing 1,744 acres to 7,264.89 acres or 2,940 hectares by renovating and protecting the existing water bodies and modifying the parks and playgrounds  of the capital capable of retaining water, RAJUK town planner Md Ashraful Islam said.

RAJUK has finalised the draft of the revised DAP targeting development in 1528sq km area in Dhaka, and in parts of Gazipur and Narayanganj districts till 2035, he said, adding that the draft would be sent to the housing ministry soon for its notification on government gazette.

DAP consultant Hisham Uddin Chisty said that in the revised DAP they made an attempt to come out of the conventional water retaining concept of protecting some low-lying areas on the outskirts of the capital and connecting those through natural canals and artificially-developed drainage system.

‘The conventional system is not effective as water flow hinders due to clogging of the canals and drains. In addition to the existing system, we would have to develop some water retaining facilities in the centre of the capital,’ he said.

He said that they proposed keeping 2,940 hectares of land for retaining rain water in the 26 points in the capital alongside renovation of the existing system and in aggregate it would be 9.5 per cent of the total area of the capital.

‘The parks and playgrounds in the capital can easily be enabled with water retaining facility through some modification. Dhaka South City Corporation has already made Shaheed Aalauddin Park in Basabo capable of retaining rainwater as part of its Jal Sabuje Dhaka project,’ Chisty said.

He added that the revised DAP also includes a proposal for protecting 1,365 hectares of land for retaining water in 10 points in Gazipur near Dhaka in the north, 1,709 hectares of land in nine points of Rupganj and Kaliganj in the east of Dhaka, 3,119 hectares of land in 12 points in Narayanganj in the south, 1,323 hectares of land in eight points of Keraniganj in the west of Dhaka and 1,772 hectares of land at nine points in Savar.

Chisty said that they also proposed preserving more areas for retaining water in any private land development projects and developing underground water recharge facilities as a mandatory clause for obtaining permission for developing a building.  

Bangladesh Institute of Planners general secretary Adil Mohammad Khan and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan joint secretary Iqbal Habib demanded detailed study before converting parks and playgrounds into reservoirs.

‘We must ensure that the greens and underground water recharging system are not destroyed over such conversion,’ Adil said.

Adil and Iqbal also said that RAJUK should take action for protecting 10,358 acres of area located on the outskirts of Dhaka for retaining water as had been stated in the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan in 1995.

Adil’s satellite image study launched in 2019 showed that over 22,500 acres of wetland, including water bodies and flood-flow zones in and around the capital were filled up by individuals, private companies and government agencies since DAP was in effect in 2010.

Rajuk town planner Md Ashraful Islam claimed that developing retention facilities in the capital would not affect the green and water recharge system rather it would help recharging more water.

He said that retention areas marked out in the DMDP and DAP all belonged to private owners.

‘To protect those, we would have to acquire the lands or give the owners some alternative benefits,’ he said, adding that they would coordinate with other agencies for their protections.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net