What will be the major catastrophe for future Bangladesh

To believe the news that water has entered inside our house in the city of Jhalokathi, I have to remain silent for quite some time. Then, I start calling countless people one by one, including my father, mother, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Everyone's phone is either switched off or showing 'unable to connect'. Suddenly, a call goes through to my younger uncle's phone. He is also surprised at how I managed to reach him on his phone!

The way he described the storm, wind, rain and water inside the house and the panic, fear and apprehension expressed in his words beat even my memories of heavy floods in my childhood and youth. Because even during the terrible floods of 1988 and 1998, water did not enter our house. Even the water entered the yard and the road in front of the house, but it receded after some time.

In 2007, despite the devastating cyclone Sidr, the damage to Jhalokathi city was relatively minimal. As a reporter for a daily newspaper, when I traveled extensively across various areas of the district covering the news of Sidr, I didn't even realize that any severe cyclone had passed over this city.

Indeed, Jhalokathi city is situated in a convenient location in the middle of the Barishal division, surrounded by rivers on all four sides. To the south of the city flows the Sugandha River, to the west lies the Basanda Canal (river), and there are also several rivers and canals to the north and east directions. Once again, the Vishakhali River is connected with the Sugandha, along with the Gabkhan Channel and the Dhansiri River. As a result, no matter how much the water level rises, it eventually flows away due to the low-lying nature of the area. Therefore, many people in Jhalokathi city are unfamiliar with scenes where water has entered inside someone's house or where it has remained stagnant for a long time. However, this time, that belief has been shattered. Now, many people whose homes have been inundated with water never imagined even half an hour ago that they would have to sit on their beds! It's a completely new experience for them.

Even during the floods of 1998 or 1998, why didn't water enter our homes? The answer to that question lies with us. The road constructed by the municipality in front of our village homes used to be a narrow unpaved path. Later, it was paved with bricks, and now it's paved with stones. Previously, people could walk along that road, and if necessary, ride bicycles. But now, motorcycles, e-rickshaws, and even small lorries carrying bricks, sand, and cement easily enter the village. And since the construction of this road, the number of buildings in the village has increased several times. Most of the tin-roofed houses are being transformed into concrete structures. This is one side of the coin.

On the flip side, to construct this road, a vast portion of a long canal has been filled with sand. Multiple ponds have been filled as well. Many people who are benefiting from the convenience of the road are either converting tin-roofed houses into concrete structures or building new houses. A lot of them have filled the ponds either in front of or behind their houses. Here, sand and brick traders play a significant role. They quickly and affordably fill ponds, reservoirs, and even agricultural lands with sand. If the opportunity to fill water bodies with sand easily did not exist, some ponds, reservoirs, rivers, canals, and water bodies might have remained untouched. However, the development of technology and road connectivity poses the greatest threat to the environment and biodiversity. This reckless filling of water bodies is a suicidal arrangement for a land of water.

In our new house in the village, there was also once a pond. It was where I learned to swim. The pond was connected to a small canal branching off from the main river. However, when the road was being constructed, the canal was filled with sand, disconnecting the pond from the river. Gradually, the pond turned into a stagnant water body or marsh. Later, it was filled with sand, and houses were built there. Inside the house built by filling up the water bodies, there is now water. On the road constructed by filling up the canal, there is ankle-deep water now. If desired, boats can also be operated.

In riverine Bangladesh, all transportation is now dependent on roads. Small boats no longer ply the small rivers and canals of rural areas. Elaborate culverts have been constructed according to a rigid plan, making it impossible for even dinghies to pass underneath. However, in the process of building those culverts and small bridges, the width of the rivers and canals has been reduced. As a result, their flow has decreased. If any watercourse, be it a river or a canal, becomes obstructed, sediment and soil gradually accumulate beneath it, reducing its depth. As the depth decreases, it becomes unable to hold excessive rainfall or floodwater. It overflows instead.

That water then enters people's homes. In other words, the development that filled rivers, canals, ponds, water bodies, and farmland is now causing ordinary people to suffer the consequences. They are now sitting on their beds. Because there is ankle-deep water in his house. So, when you fill up the ponds, canals, streams, and low-lying areas, even agricultural land, with soil to build roads, houses, government offices, and factories, and as a result, excessive rain and flooding water enter your homes, And you will say it's the consequence of climate change; no, there is no scope to say this. It's rather punishment for human sins. If you strike the water flow, then water will strike you. It is clear. A dialogue from famous fiction writer Debesh Roy's novel 'Tistapuran' goes like this: 'If you don't remember the river, the river remembers you. If you forget the river and step on the path, the river will come up on your path.

Due to the cyclone Remal, heavy rainfall inundates various areas of Chittagong city. Waterlogging occurs in different parts, leading to flooding. During the current monsoon season, Chittagong city is experiencing flooding for the second time. Areas such as Chakbazar, DC Road, KB Aman Ali Road, Bakalia, Gate No. 2, Muradpur, Bohoddarhat, Mehedibag, Chandgaon Residential Area, Probortok Mor, Kapasgola, Katalganj, MM Ali Road, Halishahar, and other areas are affected by waterlogging. Is the heavy rain due to Cyclone Rimal only responsible for this? Aren’t ineffective development activities also responsible for this? Over the years, while building roads and buildings, the water flow canals of Chittagong city are filled up, occupied and contaminated by pollution. As a result, even a slight increase in rainfall leads to waterlogging, affecting the residents of this major city, the country's second capital. So there is no point in blaming only cyclone, heavy rain or flood for this. Because as a disaster-prone country, Bangladesh will have such natural disasters. But the way to deal with that disaster should be kept open. Water will rise, but the drainage pathways must be kept clear to ensure it recedes quickly. However, that's not being done. There's little doubt that this adversity will worsen in the future.

The same situation exists in the capital, Dhaka. While it is true that the city has been protected by embankments, the canals that once quickly drained water from various areas during heavy rainfall have been encroached upon. Although some canals have been reclaimed, a large portion still remains occupied. Therefore, the looming question remains: if such national disasters intensify in the future, will the residents of the capital be subjected to prolonged waterlogging? In other words, when Bangladesh is hailed as a role model in disaster resilience, when significant reductions in loss of life due to cyclones are achievable, and when early warning systems and various preparedness measures can caution people well in advance, then the emergence of waterlogging stands as a new cause for concern. The primary responsibility for this lies in the extensive development activities that have filled low-lying areas, including roads and other infrastructure, with construction. However, during the planning and implementation of these development projects, it would have been prudent to consider measures to ensure that water flow pathways are not obstructed in any way.

What is the solution?
1. Filling of ponds, rivers and canals with sand should be prohibited by law. That is, filling the reservoir cannot be kept readily available.

2. Effective dredging and digging should be done to restore the navigability of the encroached canals and small rivers. It must be ensured that money for river dredging does not go to waste. The government's zero tolerance policy against corruption should be properly implemented.

3. New ponds should be prohibited from being filled, even if they are privately owned.

4. Construction of any kind should be discouraged in low-lying areas and agricultural lands, even if privately owned. Those who claim they have no alternative but to build houses or fill agricultural land and water bodies should be provided with better alternatives through national initiatives.

5. Strict laws must be enacted and enforced to protect water bodies, ponds, low-lying areas, and agricultural lands, ensuring their preservation and sustainable use.

6. In modern urban planning, the concept of the 'Sponge City' is gaining traction. This involves creating cities that behave like sponges, absorbing and managing water efficiently. To achieve this, it's necessary to create rivers, canals, and water bodies within the city, which help in the absorption and retention of water.

7. Scientists are warning that future precipitation levels may increase due to climate change. Therefore, urban planning must take this reality into account. It may be necessary to break away from existing infrastructure and adopt new approaches as needed.

8. Illegal buildings built by filling up canals-rivers-ponds-reservoirs should be demolished impartially and reservoirs should be constructed there.

9. Coastal houses should be built higher. The government can provide interest-free loans to low-income people on easy terms to upgrade and renovate houses that have already been built but are at risk of flooding.

If these initiatives are not taken immediately, waterlogging will become the main disaster for Bangladesh in the future, rather than cyclones, earthquakes, excessive rainfall, or floods. From this disaster, not only cities and towns but also rural areas cannot be saved.

Amin Al Rashid: Journalist and author