How to deal with water logging problems at urban and rural areas and its remedial measures?

On 4 October 2021, the World University of Bangladesh (WUB) organized a Seminar with SETU, a Non-Government Organization (NGO) in Madhupur, Tangail, Bangladesh. The seminar was conducted through Google Meet where the academics of the department of civil engineering and researchers of SETU took part in the event.

To provide a brief of SETU: it was formed in 1983 and has special consultative status with UN Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) and observer status with United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The researchers from SETU in collaboration WUB figure out the reasons of water logging arise from blockades on drainage and pipe network system, poor design and planning of drainage and pipe infrastructural, and lack of public awareness. The findings revealed that the main reason for water logging in the two main cities of Bangladesh: Dhaka and Chittagong city, was the filling of canals with garbage, earth sedimentation as well as encroachment by locals. This daunted the excess flow of water during monsoon. Further, the findings also revealed that the ponds and lakes are filled in by soil for constructing buildings.

Since the department focuses on research in infrastructure and urban housing, future prospects suggest that Dhaka city being located on the southern edge of the Madhupur jungle terrace and being surrounded by rivers on all sides, measures should be undertaken to tackle flood water from the rivers, withstand means to deal with heavy rainfall causes which may lead to water logging, and control the rapid urbanization of the city.