The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, has become Uninhabitable now
Dhaka has crossed the 20 million population mark in a very short period and is now the sixth most populous capital city globally. According to recent data, the city aged around one thousand years, whereas some acknowledged that the city is 400 years old.
Due to its geographical location, it falls in the central part of the country and gets surrounded by rivers-canals. Dhaka was a healthy place then.
Over the years, with increased pollution, the city has lost its lion’s share of greenery and water bodies.
In the last year, most of the surveys conducted on the liveability of the world’s major cities, Dhaka placed at the bottom. With the pace of time, Dhaka’s position continues to decline.
Recent studies on the city of Dhaka have also shown that Dhaka is in a state of disrepair. These studies have revealed the rapid population growth in Dhaka and various problems in urban management.
For a beautiful and healthy city, it is important to limit the size of the population, protect the vegetation and wetlands, and control air and soil pollution. In all these terms, the situation at Dhaka is deteriorating rapidly.
This month, a similar picture emerges in a research report titled ‘Environmental Challenges,’ published by the international science journal.
The research shows that, in 1989, greenspace was 17 percent at Dhaka, which is also one of the parameters of a healthy city. However, in 2020, that is, in just 30 years after, it has come down to only at 2 percent.
Dhaka’s green and wetland area has decreased fastest since 2009. Although some vegetation has grown in the new residential areas of the city, it is far below the overall demand.
Nevertheless, the city’s overall environment is deteriorating rapidly due to massive population pressure and lack of planning and proper implementation in the city management.
Professor Nazrul Islam, an urban expert and former chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), said, “Dhaka’s position in most global reports indices has deteriorated in recent years for several reasons. First of all, the population of this city is growing rapidly. However, most of those who are new to the city are poor. As a result, they cannot avail civic benefits due to financial reasons.
Again, they cannot play a role in the development of the city’s overall environment. One after another, plans are underway to bring this city under proper planning and management. However, most of them are not getting implemented. As a result, the city’s overall situation, management, and environment is deteriorating.
