Dhaka Travelogue 4 –The Receding Water Bodies
I know this topic is not as sexy a topic as those on Dr Yunus, Sheikh Hasina/Khaleda Zia and their sons or even cricket. But I dare write about it because we can no longer afford to ignore this issue.
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While trying to visit Dhaka’s main water bodies this time, I came up with two interesting findings,
1. A water body, when it goes through a posh area, it is called a lake. The same thing when it enters middle class Dhaka, it renames itself as a Khal or jheel. A Gulshan resident can not tolerate a Begunbari or Meradia resident living beside a lake!!
2. Except the Dhanmondi lake (And part of Gulshan lake) most of the water bodies in Dhaka are either lined by slums (More specifically slum latrines) or small industry waste disposal system and there is no easy access to reach them.
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As I grew up in north Dhaka (Then north, now probably central), I witnessed years of massive land fills eliminating water bodies, swamps from Dhaka.
Even now, the moment you leave the city limits you see low-lands spread all the way to the horizon. And alarmingly, you will not find a single water body which has not yet been marked for death by imposing signboards of real estate businesses. (Thank you Jugantor owner Mr. Babul).
Not too long ago, (less than two decades) Dhaka had an excellent naturally designed rain and sewer water management system.
At the center there was the mighty Hatirjheel. Gulshan lake system directly drained south-west into Hatirjheel and into east through Rampura Khal to Balu River. Gulshan lake system was connected to Dhanmondi lake system via the begunbari khal which then drained through katashur Khal into Turag. In the west the Katasur canal also drained Rayerbazar and Mohammadpur areas. Ramchandrapur and Dholai Khal drained old Dhaka. Within the current Dhaka business hub at Motijheel was it’s namesake Motijheel and the segunbagicha khal draining all of south central Dhaka.
Jirani Khal, Shajahanpur Khal and Mohakhali Khal used to bear the load of eastern Dhaka’s storm water. Similarly Kalyanpur, Ibrahimpur and Diabari Khal were the lifeline of north Dhaka.
Of all those vital water bodies names I just mentioned, most of are almost nonexistent now. Panthapath (Great developement work of Ershad) landfill destroyed the whole eastern portion of Begunbari Khal connecting Hatirjheel to Dhanmondi lake system. 30 meter wide Dholai Khal is now a 2.5X2.5 meter box culvert. [ Source: The daily Star]
The Hatirjheel, once owned by Bhawal Raja, was intended by the king as the water drainage system for Dhaka. 5% of original hatirjheel remains now. The Hatirjheel, which once ran from the backside of the present Sonargaon Hotel to Gulshan-1, is now being illegally occupied by Brac/ Arong, Capital Housing, Nirman International and other local land grabbers.
This is a satellite picture taken from google showing east Dhaka. The area in circle should have been hatirjheel and see what is left of it! The arrow goes parallel to the tiny threadlike remains of once mighty begunbari canal. The western portion is all obliterated thanks to Panthapath. The elliptical marking denotes area once called Rampura khal. Now that has turned into a drain, thanks to Banashree land developement by Eastern housing Ltd.
Destruction of Dhaka water bodies started about 50 years ago and it went on rampantly by the two previous generations before us. It’s about the time our generation wakes up to stop the senseless self destruction.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Enlightening indeed! I always know I can learn something new when I get to talk to you (Rumi Bhai) or read your posts.
We wonder why the flood problem in Dhaka has become worse over the years. A little rain now clogs even the main roadways and smaller alleyways. Lack of drainage is not the main problem like many assume, the problem would not be as acute if we had left these inland water bodies intact and the reach of land encroachers. Yes proper drainage system is needed but the runoffs need to go somewhere. I see even worst problem for our beloved Dhaka city is already in the making – the land filling that is taking place outskirts of Uttara and north to Ashulia and beyond is going to be just devastating as far as flood problem is concerned for Dhaka. It is simply daring yet funny to see some of the developers putting up signs. These signs rise above land that is completely submerged in water and advertise modern housing for Dhaka dwellers. These water bodies are there for a reason is too often overlooked due to shortsightedness and greed.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:30 am
20 years ago, when I used to go to school, I remember passing huge marshes on either side of the Gulshan-Tejgaon link road. The water was always covered with dense kochuri pana, from horizon to horizon. Today nothing remains of those marshlands. On one side, they have built up a filthy, slummish “residential area” called Niketon, on the other side you have Gulshan Aarong etc.
What chance does the environment have, when its advocates are weak and its enemies so powerful? Though I’ve heard that the CTG government is keen to prosecute illegal land grabbers (also known as housing companies). Does anyone in Dhaka have updates on this? According to my father, Bashundhara, Asian City they are all crooks that have occupied land illegally and landfilled marshland, also illegally.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Interesting blog. I used to live in Old Dhaka (Luxmibazaar, St. Gregory’s) in my childhood and had seen the Dholai Khal (not the road but the canel itself) while taking a rickshaw ride from my house to motijheel. That entire Dholai Khal has disappeared now. There were ‘Kather Pul’ and ‘Lohar Pul’ on top of this khal. Lohar pul is still existing while ‘Kather Pul’ has been dismantled and merged into a concrete road from Gandaria-Postogola to Syedabad Highway. So many waterbodies in Dhaka city have disappeared, I feel sorry when I go back and see these.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
The latest target on this is the marshland next to Sonargaon. Its no surprise that BKMEA is putting up a building there. These guys are not really known for their social responsibility.
New Age Feb 21st.
Conservation of city wetlands stressed
Staff Correspondent
Urban development experts, academicians, environmentalists and Rajuk officials at a discussion on Tuesday underscored the need of immediate demarcation of Begunbari canal and Hatirjheel to save the water bodies from encroachments.
Addressing the discussion on ‘Hatirjheel and its surrounding area’s development plan prepared by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’ organised by Rajuk in Rajuk seminar room, they urged authorities concerned to take immediate steps to demolish illegal structures including the BGMEA Bhaban, and to excavate the encroached lands from the water bodies.
Rajuk chairman KAM Harun who chaired the discussion meeting sought suggestions from the experts, to take action against the developers and encroachers who are feeling up the water bodies gradually.
Dr Mujibur Rahman of BUET who conducted a feasibility study earlier on Hatirjheel said there is no scope of filling up the Hatirjheel and implementation of the Hatirjheel wetland protection act is enough to save the marshland.
He suggested to demarcate areas from Shonargaon to Rampura bridge and not to construct any structure behind Hotel Shonargaon instead of keeping the place as wetland.
Describing the importance of the Begunbari and Hatirjheel canal he said water of a vast areas goes from Begunbari canal to Hatirjheel and falls into the river Balu through some other canals.
He also suggested demolition of all illegal structures within the vicinity of wetland and noticed that a foundation stone of BKMEA Bhaban, signboard of Hilton hotel, many other structures are occupying the canal.
Due to building of BGMEA Bhaban, one of the channels of Begunbari canal has been blocked, Mujibur said.
In his presentation he said an elevated roadway from Panthapath to Pragati Sharani via Gulshan Avenue could be constructed as it would not hamper the water carriers.
Iqbal Habib, an executive member of BAPA said Rajuk can only acquire the wetlands to build walk way and road in the greater interest of preservation only after demarcating them properly.
He said the total Hatirjheel and Begunbari canal area has to be gazzetted after the demarcation.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, director (programme) of BELA said the canals have to be preserved properly and it could not be used as merely waste disposal drains.
Rajuk chief engineer, Emdadul Islam, informed that the project proposal of ‘Hatirjheel development project’ on the water bodies from Tangi diversion road to Pragati Sarani has been waiting for ECNEC approval since long.
Among others, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners Toufiq M Seraj, Professor Shahidul Amin of BUET, Assistant Professor of BUET Ishrat Islam and Rajuk director (town planning) Jahurul Haque addressed the meeting.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
The systematic destruction of Dhaka’s vital canals took an institutional shape during Ershad’s Road building fiesta. We always credit Ershad government with doing most for Dhaka transport %communication system. He did those by keeping the environmentalists voices shut and ignoring court directions. He filled up very important Begunbari khal east of Sonargaon to build Panthapath. The process of turning Dholai Khal into a road was also started during his regime.
Failure to complete the western part ( Sonargaon intersection-Rampura) of panthapath was one failure attributed to three successive democratic governments. We rarely ask why it was not done. One reason the plan had to be changed repeatedly was environmentalists strong objection ( which a democratically elected government was unable to ignore) in filling up or even building an elevated expressway over the Begunbari khal.
Currently a vital role in this sector in being played by media, especially the Daily Star and its sister publications.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Thanks Rumi Bhai for this excellent write-up. We really are in a big dilemma, one way we must build new roads (especially traversing from east to west), on the other hand, we also have to preserve the little ater bodies that we still have.
I think, for reducing the traffic jam, we can take some measures not adversely affecting the environment.
1. Demolish Rangs building to build a connecting road from Bijoy Soroni to Tejgaon.
(No major water ways gets affected if we do this).
2. Get the BDR HQ out of the city and opening the road to connect Azimpur with Sat Masjid Road.
3. Get Cantonment out of the city, or at least open all the roads inside cantonment for public use.
March 20th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
It might be of some interest to some people.
thanks
Move underway to tear down Rangs Bhaban
Tuesday March 20 2007 10:07:19 AM BDT
Rabiul Islam
The caretaker government has finally initiated a move to demolish the Rangs Bhaban built illegally on the government land at Tejgaon in the capital. According to a competent source, the building would be demolished soon after approval from the advisory council.( The Bangladesh Today )
The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by housing and public works adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein on Monday, following a recommendation by a committee headed by a housing and public works joint secretary. Considering the demolition of Rangs Bhaban as sensitive, the matter would be sent to the cabinet for final approval, although the public works ministry has the authority to demolish any such building built on the government land, the meeting sources said. Housing and Public Works Secretary A K M Zafrullah and officials concerned were present at the meeting. After the meeting, adviser Mainul Hosein told reporters, “we are working on the matter but it has not been finalised”.
The meeting also decided to investigate the issues of five more high-rise buildings like the BGMEA Bhaban, Gulshan Morium Tower, Rampura Rupayon Tower, Sweet Dream and Hotel Sarina. Of these buildings, four were built on the government land illegally. Hotel Sarina was built violating the rules and regulations of the RAJUK building code, sources said.
According to sources, stern action would be taken against those who have violated the building code and constructed high-rise buildings on the government land illegally.
It may be pointed out that the Rangs Bhaban was built during the Ershad regime. When BNP was in power from 1991-1996, it took an initiative to demolish the building but failed.Awami League during its 1996 -2001 regime also took an initiative to demolish the building but could not because of a High Court stay order.
March 20th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
It’ll really be praiseworthy if he current govt takes move against these illegal buildings built by the powerful businessmen. It is very hard for the democratic govt because the political parties usually depend on the donations of the businessmen.
Still, I’ll not get over hopeful. Rangs group or the other businessmen who built those buildings are still powerful and will try to influence the govt decision. Let’s see what happens.
March 22nd, 2007 at 6:28 am
[...] this might come across as a little snarky, but this begged to be commented upon. Over at DP Blog, Rumi is ruminating during a visit back home. Discussing the encroachment of water bodies in the [...]
April 12th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Zubaer can safely add the over-advertised bddl, Swadesh (run by minister’s sons), Jugantor’s Babul, Amin Mohammed foundation and Rangs to his list of crooks (he already had Asian City and Bashandhara). They are all guilty of either grabbing land, selling land that does not belong to them, forcing people into selling them their land through violence, sand filling other’s land(once you fill it with sand, nothing grows on it so farmers cannot use it and are forced to sell), wetland filling, selling the same land to 10 different owners and other such crimes. Yet most of them are unpunished thus far.