The authorities have another gift to offer the city dwellers alongside the traffic jams, and that is water-logging. They have broken their promises, though the monsoons have not. Down the years, no one remains accountable for the situation. It is the denizens of Dhaka who simply pay the price for whimsical urbanization and ineffective management. They pay taxes and cast votes. They suffer day after day. Not a single commitment is kept. The city corporation and WASA are responsible for the situation, but the government itself is also totally uncaring about the city.

Rain is a blessing. It is only natural for rains to come, for there to be floods that will clean the city of its dust and filth. But the flaws of the authorities, their irregularities and corruption, create a mess of things. The roads, open spaces in the city are submerged in water. In many areas, water has entered the houses, shops and offices. Nature is not at fault. Thousands of people in the city face immense suffering due to the water-logging. How does the government remain silent in such a situation? It just does.

The water and sewerage system of the city hasn’t been developed for long. In Mirpur, 90% of the area has no WASA drainage line. The canals which would carry the rain water to Buriganga, Turag and other rivers, have all been grabbed and filled. The crop lands around the city which were flood deltas for the city, are now all housing projects and brick fields. There is no coordination between WASA and the two city corporations. The drains are not cleared before the rains.

When the flaws are all over, just a few drains and machines to pump out water will not solve the problem. Alongside a coordinated master plan, the city planners, mayors and the government must be made accountable and transparent. But who will bell the cat?

The two new mayors had committed to building an ideal Dhaka and resolving the city’s problems. The water-logged capital city belittles their big talk.