AUW Writing Team, Dhaka Community Managers
In Dhaka, the poor mostly live near river banks, where they face the constant risk of floods and landslides. Because of the high cost of land, the urban poor can only afford to live near drainage congestions or on the edges of deep narrow valleys, areas which are prone to flooding because of the heavy rainfall, exacerbated by rapid climate change in the last few decades. In response to these difficult living conditions, and some of Dhaka’s environmental and connectivity issues, the Capital Development Authority of the Government of Bangladesh, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) has planned a prodigious environmental sustainability project called Hatir Jheel.
Previously, the Hatir Jheel canal area was severely environmentally degraded due to the large amount of waste dumped in the canal. In addition, formal and informal settlements had sprung up around the canal, adding to the environmental issues, and posing a significant challenge to any proposed intervention.
RAJUK collaborated with Dhaka’s Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Together, the team developed a plan to reconstruct and beautify the Hatir Jheel canal area, as well as to increase the connectivity of this neighborhood with the other areas of the city.
The Hatir Jheel project was completed in early 2013, and successfully transformed the area into an environment-friendly and beautiful location for both rich and poor residents. The canal was dredged into lakes, meaning that low-lying areas can be used as rain water retention basins. This also minimizes the risk of flooding, causing less damage to the nearby residents who live on the edge of ravines. The bridges and surrounding roads constructed around the lake have improved connectivity to other areas in Dhaka, like Bangla Motor, Moghbazar, Mouchak, Tejgaon, and Gulshan. In addition, RAJUK has built new apartments for the displaced residents.
Critics remark that the project was implemented in a top-down manner, without the participation of important stakeholders such as the inhabitants of the nearby formal and informal settlements, and the businesses that had developed near the canal. Despite these critiques, the project has generally been successful in facilitating rain water retention, developing east-west communication, reducing traffic congestion, and ensuring a safer environment for the Hatir Jheel area.
Photo credit: Ibrahim Husain