Field Study Report

Course No. : WFM 6306Course Name: Urban Water Management

Submitted to

Dr. M. Shah Alam Khan ProfessorIWFM, BUET

Submitted byUthpal KumarRoll No. 0411284003

Institute of Water and Flood ManagementBangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

February, 2012

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Detention and Retention Function of Hatirjheel Integrated Project and Its Management Aspect

By

Uthpal Kumar, PhD Candidate, IWFM, BUET, Dhaka-1000. uthpal23@gmail.com

1. Introduction

Detention and retention basin are important component of stormwater management in the cities. The Hatirjheel-Begunbary detention basin is the largest stromwater detention

basin in Dhaka which drains stormwater from one-third catchment area of the city.

Dhanmondi, Gulshan and Banani lakes are hydrologically linked with this detention basin,

and the combined outfall of the whole catchment area (about 30 km2) falls at Rampura,

where Begunbary Khal meets to receive total drainage discharge, and finally drained into the Balu river by gravity flow. After the severe flood in 1988, a regulator was constructed

at the Rampura outfall and this regulator is kept close as the external river water level reach at 5 m PWD. At that time a total of 50 (30 pumps are of 25 cusec and 20 are of 5

cusec capacity) pumps are used to drain stormwater from entire catchment area and the total process is maintained by the DWASA.

The detention capacity and function of the Hatirjheel basin have been reduced

significantly due to illegal encroachment. Moreover, solid waste dumping, illegal

households’ and industrial sewerage connections have also been polluted the total system for its subsistence uses. Management of Hatirjheel basin is very much critical to

reduce the flood hazards in Dhaka city. That’s why government had decided to

implement an integrated project including development of road communication in east-west direction in Dhaka city. This project is expected to improve the detention capacity

and function of the Hatirjheel basin. The present report is based on our field study conducted as a part of an academic course, ‘Urban Water Management’ offered by the

Institute of Water and Flood Management of Bangladesh University of Engineering and

Technology (BUET). In this study we had a key focus on the problems and challenges that

have been facing by the implementing organization and the future management aspect.

2. Objectives:

According to the project officer, Major Md. Ferdous-Ur-Rahman Khan, the main

objectives of the Hatirjheel integrated project are to:

Develop the Hatirjheel as a fresh water lakes for beautiful Dhaka city project;

Improve the detention and retention capacity of the Hatirjheel basin Save the major part of Dhaka from river flood;

Protect the Hatirjheel-Begunbary Khal from illegal encroachment; and

Improve beautification and development of water governance in Dhaka city.

3. Study Method

This study has been conducted through 2 field visits and transects work across the project site and its periphery. Individual meeting with the project officer, local people and caretaker of the Rampura pumping station were conducted during field visits. We also collected a project draft report from our class mentor, Professor M. Shah Alam Khan, for secondary information regardingthe project. The Figure 1 shows the study area of the present study and Figure 2 shows the interview session conducted with the caretaker of Rampura pumping station.

Figure 1: Study area of the Hatirjheel Integrated Project.

Figure 2: Mr. Uthpal Kumar is interviewing the caretaker Mr. Nuruzzaman of Rampura pumping station. The major questions asked on the performance of the Rumpura regulator and pumping station during monsoon and its management aspect. According to Mr. Nuruzzaman performance and management of the Rumpura regulator and pumping station is quite well. However, it will be much better after the completion of the Hatirjheel project. He said excess solid waste create most problems during pumping season. Sometime plastic bag reduce the pumping efficiency of the pumps.

4. Major Institutional involvement for implementation

WASA, LGED and RAJUK are the three main institutions which have their individual responsibility and project components in this integrated project. The overall management and implementation activities have been conducting with the sole responsibilities of the Bangladesh Army to avoid civil unrest, conflicts and illegal forces during the project implementation period. In this project Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is involve to develop the road network and construction works of the project, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) is involve to setup the wastewater diversion works and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) is involve to the activities like slope protection, sludge management work, etc. Jute and synthetic geotextile have been using for slope protection works of the project. According to the Project Officer, mainly Jute geotextile has been using more because of its natural degradation capacity with less harmful effects in the soil and water environment including cost effectiveness.

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5. Problem and Challenges of Project implementation

At the beginning of project implementation removal of illegal structures and encroachment werethe major challenges for the implementing agency. According to the Project Officer, Major Md. Ferdous-Ur-Rahman Khan, this project was not possible to implement without involvement of the Bangladesh Army. He said we are still facing 72 filed cases in the Court. Displacement of the religious structures like temple and mosque were most sensitive for such a country like Bangladesh.

Sludge or bottom sediment management was also a major challenging task after the project in hand. Major Khan said that cleaning and excavation of the bottom soil was more painful as it was fully organic juicy as like as Mercury (Hg). He explained an interesting story of sludge management of the Hatirjheel project. The total sludge was calculated is about 10 crore CFT. One truck can carry only 450 CFT. So, if 700 trucks are engaged each day to transport the sludge in the disposal point it required about 6 years for sludge removal from the Lake bed. Besides, disposal of the sludge was also a major problem of the project. In this aspect at first sludge quality were evaluated by the expert project team and found that sludge is mostly organic and less harmfulfor agricultural soil. After that evaluation the sludge were disposed on the nearby low laying agricultural land at Kallayanpur. Now this problem is solve by very hard works of the Army workers.

Removal of one of the biggest BGMEA building is not successful, although it is the only structure which is still standing in the middle of the Hatirjheel detention basin. BGMEA had built this structure violating the Water Body Conservation Act 2000. Besides, they had not any legal permission from RAJUK. That’s why the High Court ordered to remove this illegal structure from this natural water bodies. But due to a powerful interruption by the central government it was not possible to dismiss the structure from Hatirjheel detention basin.

6. Major Construction Work

Service road: lake side one way road which is to be used for delivering the service facilities and visiting purposes in the Hatirjheel project area. No parking facility would be available in this road.

Express road: 2-lane road is to be developed for improving traffic and communication facilities in the east-west direction in Dhaka city.

SSDS/CSO: mean secondary sewerage diversion system/combined sewerage system. Total 11 SSDS/CSO will be constructed at 11 sewerage intake points at the Hatirjheel detention basin project. The SSDS has been design in such a way that the dry weather flow will be fully managed through the entire sewer network. However, during monsoon heavy or excess flow will be overflowed at the Hatirjheel lake system. The overflowedwater is expected to be less polluted than that of the dry weather sewerage flow.

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Bridge: A number of elevated bridges will be constructed in the project area for improving communication facilities from one side to another side of the project area.

ETP: A central ETP will be operated to treat the sewerage water before it discharge to the Balu river. The ETP will be located at Daserkandi.

Slope protection work: Jute geotextile has been using to protect the lake slope in the project.

Diversion networks: 6 diameters concrete pipe has been using to develop the sewerage diversion channel in both side of the lake project.

Excavation: Excavation of the existing Hatirjheel detention area is one of the big task of this project.

7. Public Conflicts

During our field visit 3 local people were interviewed at the Rampura site of the project. These people had business and home structures inside the project area. They claimed that Army person has been trying to remove them from their legal land which is a strong violation of the human right. They said Professor. Mojibor Rahman of BUET has been designed this ambitious project which has been a killing agent for existence. A 40-year aged people said that their house and business place is situated beyond 600 m of the Hatirjheel detention basin. But due to development of a long highway they are now sufferer. When we asked them about theircompensation and present legal status, he said that there is a High Court stay order but Army personnel did not obeying the court decision. They also explained a situation when Army personswere started to demolish their house structure in the presence of their 17 family members (including children) inside the house. At present situation they are agreed to move away from their house but they demands equivalent land preferably in the Rampura area as they have been grown up in this area. Till this study they have been living in the houses although government authority has disconnected the electricity, water and gas lines of this house. Figure 3 shows the house in which 17-people of a family is living without electricity, water and gas facility at Rampura site.

Box 1

Mr. Zakir is wood broker at Rampura since 1995. His business institution is now closed as it was inside the Hatirjheel project area. Mr. Zakir said that about 40 families depended on his business mill and now they are jobless. He claims that Army personnel did not give them enough time to relocate the business shops of about 200. As a result local people are unhappy. However, the local people were happy to at the initial stage of the project. He added that the governmental compensation of land price is only 86 thousand/decimal. Whereas, the actual land price is more than 20 times of the governmental rate.

Figure 3: A 17-members family living in this house without having access to electricity, water and gas facilities at Rampura.

8. Institutional Aspect for Long-tem Management

Sustainability of any project depends on the long term financing mechanism, institutional aspect and long term monitoring and management of the project. To know the long term management aspect of the Hatirjheel integrated management of the Hatirjheel project will bewould be the institutional management framework of this integrated project is still not confirmed but WASA would be the main responsible authority as it is a drainage detention and sewerage project improvement. However, BWDB, RAJUK, LGED, DoE and others providers may also involve in its management system. also be involved for its management, monitoring and institutional aspectssustainability. For long term financing, cost recovery and maintenance system may be adopted. However, wand earning source for monitoring

9. Conclusion

Protection and management of urban detention basins flood vulnerability in urban Bangladeshbasin management in the mega cityinter-sectoral collaboration and cooperation among term management also dependsmanagement of the project. The hatirjheel integrated water resources management environment. Such project and experiences may managing urban flood hazards which will reduce the flood vulnerability in urban Bangladesh.

members family living in this house without having access to electricity, water and

tem Management

Sustainability of any project depends on the long term financing mechanism, institutional aspect and long term monitoring and management of the project. To know the long term management

the Hatirjheel integrated project we ask the project officer. According to him management of the Hatirjheel project will be a future challenge of this project. He said that what would be the institutional management framework of this integrated project is still not confirmed but WASA would be the main responsible authority as it is a drainage detention and

. However, BWDB, RAJUK, LGED, DoE and others involve in its management system. Finally, community stakeholders should

also be involved for its management, monitoring and institutional aspectslong term financing, cost recovery and maintenance of the whole system

However, water based recreation facility would also be a good option g and maintenance cost recovery of the integrated pro

of urban detention basins is necessarily important for reducing Bangladesh. Hatirjheel is the first integrated project on detention

the mega city Dhaka, Bangladesh. The success of this project depends on cooperation among water management institutions. The long

depends on a sustainable financing mechanism for monitoring and . The hatirjheel integrated project should be good example of

integrated water resources management which will improve water governance in the project and experiences may also be replicable in other part of the

flood hazards which will reduce the flood vulnerability in urban Bangladesh.

members family living in this house without having access to electricity, water and

Sustainability of any project depends on the long term financing mechanism, institutional aspect and long term monitoring and management of the project. To know the long term management

project we ask the project officer. According to him future challenge of this project. He said that what

would be the institutional management framework of this integrated project is still not confirmed but WASA would be the main responsible authority as it is a drainage detention and

. However, BWDB, RAJUK, LGED, DoE and others service community stakeholders should

also be involved for its management, monitoring and institutional aspects for project of the whole system a toll

a good option integrated project.

important for reducing first integrated project on detention

The success of this project depends on institutions. The long

monitoring and project should be good example of

water governance in the urbanbe replicable in other part of the country for

flood hazards which will reduce the flood vulnerability in urban Bangladesh.

Annex 1

Field Visit Photo Gallery

SSDS/CSO Bridge Service road Express road

Water leakage Sewer

BGMEA Building

Rampura Regulator Solid waste dumping Begunbary Khal

Study Group with Professor and the Project Officer