Save Hatirjheel from overdevelopment | The Daily Star

Waterlogging has been a perennial problem for the city of Dhaka, and we all know the reason behind it. The rampant encroachment of water bodies has meant that water remains stagnant in many areas as there is nowhere for it to go. Canals, ponds and parts of rivers have been filled to satisfy the greed of the invaders who often enjoyed political patronage. Hatirjheel is one of the latest victims of this unplanned development that threatens to further worsen Dhaka’s waterlogging problem.

According to a report, in the last 17 months, more than 10 acres of Hatirjheel Lake has been filled with sand as part of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project. Authorities say the move was necessary to build 41 piers for the project, despite warnings that it would severely disrupt the lake’s natural water flow and reduce its ability to retain excess rainwater. As a result, there would be increased congestion, especially in Dilu Road, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, Moghbazar and Tejgaon areas. The biodiversity of Hatirjheel would also be affected, damaging the habitats of aquatic life and destroying bird nesting areas.

This year’s floods in various parts of the country turned out to be more severe precisely because the flood waters stagnated for days on end, as most water bodies have been filled or blocked by a development of unplanned infrastructure.

It is unthinkable that, despite such serious risks, the authorities will allow this movement to continue. The approval of the infill initiative reportedly came directly from the former prime minister’s office. And even though this violated the Dhaka Detailed Area Plan (2022) as well as the Environment Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2010, both Rajuk and the Environment Department remained silent. Now that the old regime has been overthrown, we expect things to be different. Given the track record of the current environment minister in the fight against the invasion of rivers and bodies of water, we hope that this dangerous initiative will be removed soon.

While the elevated expressway has made life easier for many city dwellers in terms of mobility, it cannot be at the cost of the integrity of Hatirjheel or the safety of citizens from environmental impacts. The government must stop the expansion immediately and develop a plan to undo the damage already caused and protect the lake in the future. This year’s floods in various parts of the country turned out to be more severe precisely because the flood waters stagnated for days on end, as most water bodies have been filled or blocked by a development of unplanned infrastructure. The caretaker government should identify all water bodies at risk in Dhaka and other cities that have been filled or encroached, and take urgent steps to release them.