Friday, March 29, 2024

Salvaging Dhaka

Md. Mahbubul Huq for The Daily Star
The engine behind a city is, apparently, its mayor. He is the chief of local government administration. Local government administration is responsible for providing services such as: fire safety, police protection, any emergency services, public school, water and sewerage, city planning, maintaining local environmental health, garbage collection, public transportation. Other services provided include: recording births, deaths and marriages; managing public burial sites, public parks, open spaces and other public land.
Local government functions at city, town or other levels and is the operation of a government closest to where people live. It has specific powers and functions not covered by other form of government. It is responsible for collection of taxes for services and ordinances on zoning. The mayor is the head of city council and has voting and veto rights as a part of this council. He is also in charge of the city budget and supposedly making sure city services are delivered.
But mass transit system, water and sewerage system, and annexing or zoning of land in Dhaka city are not under the purview of the mayor. Building plan permits are considered by the local government entity at appropriate levels whereas for Dhaka it is Rajuk. Water permit is considered by Dhaka Wasa which was previously under the local government. His scope to perform is grossly clipped.
In spite of a local government organization, most of the development programmes of Dhaka City Corporation (DMC) are implemented by an assortment of entities under different ministries apparently at the discretion of the policy makers. This flawed principle is the root of all miseries pertinent to the people such as: endemic traffic congestion choking streets, water supplied unfit to drink, bylanes-lanes-roads inundated with sewage in some localities, knee-deep water logging after a rainfall, air polluted with life threatening particles, river water polluted with traces of deadly toxic substances and acute shortage of parks. People are hapless; they do not know where to go to seek remedy.
The said entities cannot be reached for any incompetence, negligence as they remain protected in the cocoon of government service. On the other hand it would not be so, had the mayor been in charge for he owes explanation to the people about his performance. His capacity to deliver services is severely restricted whereas entities foreign to local government are over stepping on his turf. Dhaka local government is not merely a question of moving headlong on sketchy programmes but an environment of unencumbered authority.
For any attempt to ease the sufferings of the people circumventing the mayor, probability of faulty ideas in the initiatives will be random. Let us consider a few. Residential plot allotment in thousands under the Uttara (3rd phase) and Jhilimilee project in 2009; fresh invitation for another 1200; for low-income people 94,000 units of flats; towns opposite the rivers around the city; 6 km elevated road all under the ministry of works and another 26 km long under the ministry of communications. Majority of plots would be developed into 10 or even 14 storied apartment buildings soon. People in lacs would move in to occupy. Zoning for business, education, health, shopping and entertainment for them need to go with the plots. But there is no zoning as such. They will have to count on Dhaka as those from Uttara are doing.
The same Dhaka dependency crisis applies to the towns and to the flats projects. If the idea is relieving population pressure on Dhaka then it will not only fail, may render it inhabitable instead. I wonder whether the population of Dhaka is taken into account while planning.
The under construction elevated road network is dangerous from earthquake point of view. It may get inclined or ruptured in case of intense quake. Failure of this kind was sighted in California in 1971, 1989 and in Kobe of Japan in 1995. Implementation of the mammoth network at a huge cost covering the city may turn out to be suicidal when possibility of immediate earthquake is ripe. One may raise question as to the sense in similar work in progress in New Delhi and Kolkata of the neighbouring country. As far as it is known, there is no immediate danger of earthquake there. If the city population along with car, jeep and microbus keeps on growing, clogging of elevated road may be a possibility as the roads are not of infinite capacity.
The distortion suffered so far in the character of the city and DMC dwarfed in the process is beyond remedy. On top of that the city to remain as the capital and to draw up plans to further it has been adopted as a policy. In that case, financial growth will converge on an already crowded Dhaka, indications of which are visible on the city outskirts. It would economically stifle the rest of the country whereas Dhaka will expand by leaps and bounds, the extent of which is beyond imagination.
It will also attract people like a magnet to benefits which are not available to them. Living with blunders of this scale, one may be compelled to abandon the city at some point of time. Therefore it is imperative to take course before it is too late.
There may be two choices left for a way out: 1) to transform the city into a federal capital, 2) to locate the seat of the government (capital) about 50 km away and connecting it to Dhaka with a high speed link. There are examples like Putrajaya for Kualampur and Islamabad for Karachi.
For the first choice, there will be high court and secretariat in the province. Health facilities, educational institutions, business district, trading place, service industry will naturally spring up. Expatriates may think of living in their own province and may feel comfortable to invest there. Household expenses may go down as a result and as such may be considered a substantial gain to the general public. Grains from one’s own field would be considered a bonus. The province may undergo a grinding change that may cause steady growth, an important objective in development economics. In case of natural calamities provincial government may respond at a shorter notice.
For the second one, government functions may be performed in a quiet, tidy and nice environment and inherent erosion in the quality of the mother city may slow down as a result. Parks and programme conducive to healthy and peaceful living may be taken up in the city. The secretariat may lead the procession of government establishments to the new capital town. As a consequence population pressure on Dhaka may drop. Tidy, nice and habitable Dhaka may emerge, be it with or without the seat of the government.
People of Dhaka are to decide which Dhaka they want. It sounds reasonable, to seek a mandate from them on it. The proposal may be completed in a period stretching over 20-25 years. Levying tax may be considered. Large area of land and huge amount of fund may be required. The government has successfully raised fund for the ‘Padma Shetu’, to do the same for Dhaka would not be a difficult task. But yes, if and only if the general public and the government are in agreement.

 

The writer, an architect, is former Director, Engineering Division, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. e-mail: mhuq99@yahoo.com

Related News

Stakeholders on St. Martin’s demand stringent action against plastic pollution

Environment Desk : dhakamirror.com Stakeholders have stressed that raising awareness alone is not enough to tackle plastic pollution on the country’s only coral island, Saint Martins, and are advocating for restrictions on plastic use and penalties for non-compliance. At a panel discussion entitled “Plastic Free St Martins” on Wednesday, they called for strict limits on ... Read more

Amazon deforestation down by a third in 2023, says Brazilian government

Environment Desk : dhakamirror.com Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon fell by 33.6% in the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term compared with the same period in 2022, the government says. Its suggests the rainforest shrank by 2,649 sq km this January-June, down from 3,988 sq km in those six months last ... Read more

Half of world’s largest lakes, reservoirs losing water, Study finds

News Desk : dhakamirror.com More than half of the world’s largest lakes and reservoirs have lost significant amounts of water over the last three decades, according to a new study, which pins the blame largely on climate change, intensifying concerns about water for agriculture, hydropower and human consumption. According to a team of international researchers, ... Read more

Waterways disappear as rivers die

World River Day today Rashad Ahamad Inland waterways, once the prime mode of transportation in Bangladesh, have declined fast as many rivers, canals, and other water bodies have disappeared in riverine Bangladesh over the past decades. Due to geographical location, inland waterways were the main mode of transportation in Bangladesh, a country part of the ... Read more

Chattogram city produces 249 tonnes of plastic waste every day

Will generate 428 tonnes by 2052 News Desk : dhakamirror.com Chattogram city produces 249 tonnes of plastic waste every single day — 56 percent of which remains uncollected and littered in the environment, according to a new study. “Of the plastic waste, the most are sachets, single-use utensils, and personal care items, ” the study ... Read more

Non-stop river pollution threatens water security

World Environment Day Non-stop river pollution threatens water security Laws, rules, HC directives go in vain Rashad Ahamad No pragmatic step is yet to be taken to protect the four rivers surrounding Dhaka even after declaring them ecologically critical 13 years ago. In September 2009, the Department of Environment declared the four rivers Ecologically Critical ... Read more

Air pollution takes 3 years off life in Bangladesh

Impact on life expectancy in Bangladesh worse than in India, Pakistan, Bhutan Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Air pollution cuts the average life expectancy of a person in Bangladesh by almost three years, said a global report. It is higher than in India, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. Nepal, with air pollution-linked life expectancy loss of 3.05 years, ... Read more

Rain at the summit of Greenland for the first time on record

Something extraordinary happened recently. On August 14, 2021, it rained at the highest point on the Greenland Ice Sheet for several hours — the first rainfall event in recorded history, and air temperatures remained above freezing for about nine hours. The record-breaking rain is the latest in a string of warning signs about how climate ... Read more

Emissions of CO2 driving rapid oceans ‘acid trip’

The world’s oceans are becoming acidic at an “unprecedented rate” and may be souring more rapidly than at any time in the past 300 million years. In their strongest statement yet on this issue, scientists say acidification could increase by 170% by 2100. They say that some 30% of ocean species are unlikely to survive ... Read more

Warming trees limit warming – a little

Warmer temperature prompts trees to release aerosols which in turn stimulate cloud formation. And that can help to cool the temperature, at least modestly. Trees may provide the Earth with a little shade from global warming – indirectly. European and Canadian researchers report that they have found what engineers like to call a negative feedback ... Read more

Evaluating services of forest

Biodiversity contributes considerably to economy and environment Dr. M. A. BASHAR In developing countries, the necessity of publicising services of forests is severely lacking. This sector must be given attention with special emphasis. The country like Bangladesh has to be very serious in all respects to understand and exercise the services offered by the forests. We ... Read more

What the outcome yields for Bangladesh?

Doha Climate Conference What the outcome yields for Bangladesh? Md. Mahfujur Rahman Thirty-seven industrialized countries had been accused of releasing Greenhouse gases in Kyoto Protocol under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Signatory members to the UNFCCC have been meeting annually in Conference of the Parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with ... Read more

Down with the hills!

Probir Kumar Sarker Though Bangladesh is prominently a plain land, its Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Sylhet have hilly areas with forests and rich biodiversity. These areas are full of natural resources fulfilling needs of the people and other living species. But at present, the destruction of hills in every area has become ... Read more

A prerequisite for sustainable development

Natural Resource Governance A prerequisite for sustainable development Rukshana Sultana The constitution of Bangladesh — article 143– illustrates that all natural resources on land and underground minerals and other things of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters, or the ocean over the continental shelf of Bangladesh, are the properties of Bangladesh. In general, ... Read more

Contemplating mitigation measures

Global Warming Contemplating mitigation measures Md. Atikur Rahman All things that make up the environment are interrelated. The way in which people, animals and plants are related to each other and to their surrounding is known as ecology. The ecosystem is a complex web that links animals, plants and every other life form in the ... Read more

Save Savar from further degradation

Probir Kumar Sarker Over the recent years, Savar is experiencing immense pressure of new industrial, commercial and residential establishments. But most of these have already been done or are underway indiscriminately haphazardly, and by violating the environmental laws and ignoring overall public convenience, not to speak of the care for future growth. It has been a ... Read more

Save Sonadia, save Sundarbans

Sourav Mahmud Sonadia Island is one of the biodiversity hotspot of Bangladesh. In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh included a provision for the declaration of Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) in the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act. Twelve sites are classified as ECAs and guidelines exist to control further damage to these areas. Sonadia is considered ecologically ... Read more

Ramsar Convention: Our obligation

Dr. M.A. Bashar It is learnt from newspapers very recently that in the Sundarbans area three large constructions will take place which are very dangerous and detrimental to normal functioning of the mangrove forest ecosystem. It means that the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors will be seriously hampered in the ecosystems conservation. The projects ... Read more

Legal response to loss and damage

Climate Change Legal response to loss and damage Hafijul Islam Khan The adverse impacts of climate change have continued to devastate the lives and livelihoods of millions of people and inflict large economic losses. According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, there has been a global increase in weather ... Read more

Corals of St.Martin’s at stake

Global Warming and Over-Exploitation Corals of St.Martin’s at stake Dr. Anisuzzaman Khan Honey comb corals around Saint Martin’s island are under stress due to coral bleaching. While the COP 17 — UN climate convention — was being held in Durban of South Africa, a Nature Watch Team (NWT) of Ekattor Television watched that a noticeable ... Read more