Bangladesh needs Tk 270 crore to save Dhaka from waterlogging

 Staff Correspondent

Dhaka's potential cumulative damage from intense rainfalls would stand at Tk 11,000 crore in the next 35 years, a World Bank study estimates.
This damage will be caused by waterlogging and urban flooding, and does not include the impact of climate change. In a changing climate scenario with more intense rain, the estimated loss would be Tk 13,900 crore in the 2014-2050 period.
However, an investment of just Tk 270 crore to improve the city's drainage system can reduce the damage by a third, or to only Tk 3,700 crore. 
Findings of the study -- Climate and Disaster Resilience of Greater Dhaka Area: A Micro Level Analysis -- were presented at the World Bank Dhaka office yesterday.
The study says Dhaka will have to invest in stormwater drainage pumps and other measures to reduce waterlogging in every ward within 12 hours. This has to be done in addition to the improvements in the drainage infrastructure proposed in the Detailed Area Plan and Sewerage Master Plan. 
Floods and waterlogging in Dhaka regularly disrupts the lives and livelihoods of the city dwellers. The most affected are those living in the fringe areas and slums, the study shows.
And with more frequent and intense rainfalls, climate change is likely to further aggravate flooding and waterlogging in the coming years and decades.