Water retention pond to emulate Hatirjheel

Residents of Dhaka’s west zone will soon have a Hatirjheel-like site that will give them breathing space and break from the chaos of the bustling city. 

Dhaka North City Corporation has finalised a water retention pond project at Kallyanpur to develop a 153-acre area for multipurpose use like the iconic Hatirjheel.

DNCC officials told The Business Post that the proposed Tk 900 crore project would directly benefit three million people living in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Hazaribagh, Kallyanpur, Shyamoli, Gabtoli and Darussalam.

Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam said that the area would provide recreation, alternative commuting routes and environmental benefits. “DNCC will start implementing the project after the local government ministry approves it,” he said.

Officials said the 171 acres water retention area is owned by various government agencies, including the agriculture ministry, Bangladesh Water Development Board and Dhaka WASA.

The agencies will hand over the land to the city corporation to create a 60-acre pond with an 11km dam that would have roads to ease the area’s traffic, one of the entrances of the capital.

Although the land was demarcated as a water retention pond in the Detailed Area Map, grabbers occupied parts of it and built different structures on the ground adjacent to the Turag River. There are several hundred tin-shed houses and over a dozen brick structures, including three multi-storied buildings in the area.

City corporation officials said they evicted the illegal land grabbers repeatedly, but it was reoccupied within a short period. They hoped that the project’s implementation would deter the grabbers from returning.

The areas will be developed as a rainwater reservoir to ease waterlogging. The site will be an alternative route for commuters and a recreational facility for people like Hatirjheel.

The government started the iconic Hatirjheel project in 2007 to develop the areas for multipurpose use at the cost of Tk 2,236 crore. The Hatirjheel project has issues like wastewater while residents of the adjacent areas have limited access to it. 

“We will use the Hatirjheel experience to address the issues,” said an official associated with the proposed project.

Architect Iqbal Habib said that Vitti Sthapati Brindo Ltd and the Institute of Water Modelling of Bangladesh were working with a Canadian company for the project.  Locals said that the planned development could restore biodiversity and create a breathing space for people living in nearby areas.

Hasibur Rahman Khan Sibly, a resident of the area, said water stagnation had turned the pond into a mosquito breeding ground.

He urged the authorities concerned to complete the development work as soon as possible. “I will be happy if we get a recreational facility like Hatirjheel in my area to take a breather,” he said.