March 29, 2024, 5:26 pm


FT Online

Published:
2019-05-19 20:49:23 BdST

DNCC builds bypass drain at Kalshi to relieve waterlogging


Construction of a bypass underground drain at the city's Kalshi to relieve severe waterlogging during monsoon is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) was supposed to implement the project between May 2018 and December 2018.

But the city authorities could not implement the project in time for procedural complexities.

The 1,188 metre drain is being built under the Tk 155.7 million Improvement of Damaged Roads and Infrastructure (IDRI) project of the DNCC.

Tk 58 million will be spent exclusively on laying the RCC pipes having six-foot diameter and Tk 22 million on repair of the roads damaged due to the placing of the pipes.

The bypass drain will carry waste and rain waters from the 'Sangbadik Canal' to the Baunia Canal running through the nearby Bhasantek beel.

With the construction of this drain, the people living in a number of blocks in Pallabi area and Journalists Housing are expected to get relief from the problem of severe waterlogging during monsoon.

The busy Kalshi Road and its adjoining areas get inundated even following a brief spell of rain. The Sangbadik Khal (canal), as named by the Dhaka WASA, is unable to flash out rain water because it is silted up and encroached upon by some influential local people.

"We've completed almost 90 per cent work of the underground pipe installation," DNCC zonal executive engineer Enamul Kabir told the FE Thursday last. "We expect to complete it within the next week," he said.

Last year, Mr. Kabir said, the DNCC could identify the causes of the long-standing waterlogging problem in the Kalshi area. But it could not implement the drainage project then due to the construction of Kalshi flyover.

The alignment of the DNCC drain project clashed with that of the flyover.

"The flyover construction authority handed over the site in March this year. It is a priority project of the incumbent mayor to rid the people of Kalshi of the curse of waterlogging," said Mr Kabir.

The major reason for waterlogging at the Kalshi area was the lack of regular maintenance of the canal by the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA), according to the city authority.

The Dhaka WASA has a project to reclaim the canal too.

"By the time, the WASA has planned to reclaim the Sangbadik Housing canal, there was severe waterlogging. We thought of an alternative way of partially draining out the rain water from the Sangbadik Khal," he said.

Once the DNCC drain reaches the box culvert point, the water level of the Sangbadik Housing Canal will be down by seven feet, he said.

He said that the DNCC has recently manually cleaned up the box culvert, 'Sangbadik canal' and Muslim Bazar khal.

The Dhaka WASA has been cleaning two brick sewers by special cleaners.

Until Friday, it picked more than 70 trucks of wastes. Meanwhile, the DNCC mayor Md Atiqul Islam visited the construction work bypass drain on Saturday afternoon, said a statement.

During the mayor's visit, DNCC chief engineer Brig Gen Md Jubayer Salehin, Executive Engineer Md Enamul Kabir and ward councillor Mobassher Chowdhury were present, among others

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