Dhaka fails to comply with water reservoir conservation act in urban planning: Experts

Dhaka city has failed to implement urban planning adhering to the Natural Water Reservoir Conservation Act, urban planners have said, referring to the global and national guidelines.

They added that geographical location is mostly ignored in the case of urbanisation, resulting in disasters like floods, landslides, earthquakes in various cities of the world, including in Bangladesh.

"As per the Climate Resilient Inclusive Urban Master Plan, we have failed to implement the planning in Dhaka in accordance with the Reservoir Act," said urban planner Md Anisur Rahman, while presenting the main article at a seminar in the capital in observance of the World Urban Planning Day on Saturday.

The seminar was organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) and jointly supported by the UN-Habitat and Urban Development Journalists Forum. It was moderated by BIP General Secretary Urban Planner Sheikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan.

Anisur added, "There is no alternative to planned urban development in the combination of global experience and national guidelines and their proper application at the local level."

He mentioned that all the global and national guidelines were followed in the Climate Resilient Inclusive Urban Master Plan, which was prepared as a joint initiative of the Local Government Engineering Department and the Urban Development Directorate and in collaboration with the German Corporation for International Cooperation.

Addressing the seminar as the chief guest, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam, pointing out the illegal occupiers of canals and fields, said that the prime minister never allows housing in playgrounds or open spaces.

He called upon the dwellers of Dhaka city to protest the proposal of constructing a multipurpose shopping complex on the Farmgate playground, which is now used as a temporary office for the metro rail project.

Kazi Wasi Uddin, the secretary of housing and public works ministry, said that the prime minister had already approved all the projects of two city corporations to restore the canals of Dhaka city.

"Now, if the projects are implemented fearlessly, it is possible to restore all the canals in Dhaka," he added.

Rajuk Chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah said that no plans will be approved outside the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) of Dhaka for 2022-2035.

He added that the electronic construction permitting (ECP) system for building approvals has finally been completed, overcoming many hurdles, and was being implemented from Saturday.

"From now on, the building construction professionals will have to take equal responsibility along with the Rajuk in issuing the occupancy certificate of the building through the system," stressed the Rajuk chairman.

The President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Mohammad Fazle Reza Sumon said, "To achieve the target of 80% urbanisation in Bangladesh, all government projects must be brought under planning and legal frameworks, legal framework."