Dilapidation nation

In the face of Dhaka having been rated as the second least liveable city in the world, I was confronted with a lot of friends on social networks making a push back by saying it wasn’t. I am sorry but there are days when being in Dhaka feels like hell. I love this city, for various reasons, don’t get me wrong; but I am under no illusion that living here is very hard and I am sure a lot of people reading this will agree.

All basic amenities of a modern city that one needs to access here are tremendously difficult to do. There is a dearth of space here not unlike most growing metropolises around the world. However, the difference in our case being that we have no plan whatsoever to keep investing in the ideas, solutions and development programmes that such a growth requires.

From simple waste management, to open trash collection areas, to drainage systems overflowing to the wondrous shapes and sizes of potholes that adorn our streets — the lack of planning in combating these problems have made the quality of life for residents in Dhaka absolutely shameful. Yes, we have found a way to close our noses, tip toe on waste-water, navigate the lunar roads but why should we?

There have been countless reports on almost all media channels that keep reminding us of how risky our roads have become due to the level of dilapidation, yet nothing concrete is ever done beyond the traditional lip service paid to those concerned. It’s a crime in how slow our city corporations react to these real problems.

There is no consistent effort or common sense applied at all and when an effort is made to address an issue, for example, say repairing a dilapitated road, it’s done by digging mammoth holes during monsoon season, because lord knows we lack places where rain water could be naturally stored!

And in polar opposite instances, a road lacking repair for years and in dire need of addressing is ignored to repair a road that has been repaired every passing year. Who does this benefit?

We have huge budgets allocated to remedy these matters, yet most, including me, have no understanding of where it’s being spent. When Dhaka City Corporation was split in two zones consisting of North and South, the reason tendered to us was that of better services and solutions to our daily woes. Unfortunately, the sincerity of that claim remains doubtful.

The lack of basic common sense displayed by our city officials and a legendary level of procrastination to act positively on any matter of concern, has led to tragic instances of injuries and loss of life. In a rather soft example of the above, I once witnessed a middle-aged lady travelling with her child on a rickshaw tipping over face first into drain water on a busy Gulshan road.

All three were severely injured because of the pothole that the rickshaw puller couldn’t possibly see due to the water covering the hole on the road. This one didn’t have a tree branch sticking out of it to warn of the impending danger as in other cases. Yes, I know, to cynics it’s what that poor chap deserved for being poor and driving a rickshaw but to countless others including me, it’s outrageous and unacceptable that in this digital age people are still being made to suffer like this.

This doesn’t even begin to account for the sights of trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles that I have witnessed sunken on the roads of Dhaka, being gobbled up by the holes from hell due to a lack or repair or action. And sadly this isn’t isolated to one city; this scenario exists nationwide including our highways, leading to lives being lost every single day of the year.

So yes, you can thump Hatirjheel, Kuril and all the flyovers of the world at me, which by the way will not help the congestion being created by these problems; you can make me dream of metros making it less likely for me to walk on waste water again but you can’t cover any of the real problems by simply glossing over the fact with promise of a better tomorrow.

To make me believe you really have to give a hoot, you need to display to me that you care by plugging the holes on the roads this dry season. You need to remove the open-air trash collection areas near housing estates. You need to remove the stench of human waste on our roads. You need to make sure that my child doesn’t die of a disease from having been bitten by mosquitoes from drains nearby. You need to build or repair roads where I can travel safely. You need to make overhead electrical lines safer. You need to remove the habit of not doing anything or, when doing something, of not causing epic inconveniences to those you serve and you need to give me space and amenities where I can relax in a city like ours.

So giving us the excuse of a lack of resources is just not going to cut it. Our city corporations have the money for it; question is are they going to spend any of it in benefitting the people?

To my friends who wilfully look over these problems in proclaiming Dhaka to be an awesome place to live: I urge you to open your eyes and hearts in considering sincerely the suffering of your fellow city dwellers in not encouraging inaction on the part of officials who have a duty to make our lives liveable to a reasonable standard.

Because when they don’t, they sight you as an example of why everything wrong is right and then you end up being a tool in defending against the notion that Dhaka is the second least liveable city in the world.

Originally published at www.dhakatribune.com on September 6, 2013.