Creating blue network: a solution of present water logging and transportation problem for the Dhaka metropolitan area

Abstract

Dreaming of a future condition for our own beloved cities, we always think that, the problems those we are facing today would not being faced tomorrow. Besides this, the city will blend harmoniously with natural environment also. The above scenario is very much true for Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Currently, the worst problems faced by Dhaka are traffic congestion and water logging. The city can be brought to a standstill due to less than an hour of rainfall because of poor water management and lack of natural drainage system. Though, this was not the scenario in the past. As geographical location suggests, Dhaka is a city of many rivers. In past, this resource was used for human settlement but now we are facing our back to these rivers. Due to lack of proper follow-up plans and reluctance of implementing new plans, Dhaka which was founded based on its strong connection to water has almost lost that bond. It is time to revive that natural connection. This paper explores the prospect of connecting the whole Dhaka city through water network. The water way is the cheapest means of transportation. In Dhaka city, the roads are in north-south oriented and these rivers are situated in east-west. So, the combination of both can be a great fruitful thing for overall Dhaka city. The main proposition is to re-connect the water bodies of Dhaka city and link them to the surrounding rivers to form a ‘Blue Network’ through the city to solve the water logging and transportation problem. To do this, literature surveyed has been done to search for the historical evidence of water connection through Dhaka city and new scope for bringing back that connection again. The possible outcomes resulting from numerous changes in the present condition of Dhaka will be also discussed which can make this city to go further to become an eco-city, which is our ultimate goal as a dweller of our own beloved Dhaka.