News Flash
SANGSAD BHABAN, June 30, 2026 (BSS) - Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations are implementing a series of short- and long-term measures in a coordinated manner to permanently address the capital's longstanding waterlogging problem.
Replying to a starred tabled question from Independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana (Brahmanbaria-2) in the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has identified 108 waterlogging-prone hotspots and is working to provide permanent solutions.
He said DNCC has also formed 21 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) across its 10 zones to tackle waterlogging. The teams are regularly cleaning pits, catchpits, drainage lines and waterlogged areas, resulting in quicker drainage in many parts of the city.
The minister said DNCC constructed and upgraded 110.93 kilometres of roads and 105.89 kilometres of drains during the 2024-25 fiscal year. In the current 2025-26 fiscal year, it plans to construct and improve another 115 kilometres of roads and 120 kilometres of drains.
To ensure the natural flow of canals, he said, 360 sanitation workers have been deployed for regular canal cleaning. Besides, boundaries of 29 canals and one regulating pond have been demarcated and 1,181 boundary pillars installed to prevent illegal encroachment.
Regarding the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), the minister said rainwater from 109.24 square kilometres is currently drained through three outlets at Kamalapur TT Para, Dholai Khal and Hatirjheel, which is insufficient to meet the city's needs.
"To address the situation, proposals have already been submitted to the ministry for constructing two additional outlets," he said.
He added that under the World Bank-financed Metro Dhaka Resilience Project, a new major drainage outlet from Gulistan to Sadarghat is also planned.
The minister said construction of a box culvert and an eight-foot-diameter large drain is underway to facilitate faster discharge of water from Shyampur Canal into the Buriganga River.
He said DSCC has identified 33 waterlogging-prone hotspots, including New Market, Naeem Road, Green Road, Shantinagar, Mugda Medical, Madrasa Education Board area, Majed Sardar Road and West Malibagh.
"To reduce waterlogging in these areas, cleaning and re-excavation of 22 canals, cleaning of four box culverts and ward-based drain cleaning programmes are being carried out," he said.
The minister also said six portable pumps have been installed for the rapid removal of rainwater during heavy rainfall.
He said excavation and sustainable development of four major canals-Kalunagar, Shyampur, Jirani and Manda-are continuing under the government-funded "Canal Restoration, Rehabilitation and Beautification Project."
Mirza Fakhrul said the government is implementing an integrated strategy comprising infrastructure development, construction of new drainage facilities, canal restoration and regular maintenance of the drainage network to provide a lasting solution to Dhaka's waterlogging problem.
