| Summary/Abstract |
Dhaka is facing rapid unplanned urbanization with a huge population influx during the last couple of decade. In 1995, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) prepared a 20-year plan for Dhaka city called Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP), a three tier plan including Structure Plan, Urban Area Plan and Detailed Area Plan. As the third and last tier, Detailed Area Plan was supposed to implement the provisions of the DMDP Structure Plan and Urban Area Plan policies and recommendations. The major focus of Detailed Area Plan was to put control over all development within RAJUK area through land use zoning and to lay down the framework for the development of future infrastructure and services. Although the first objective has been partially achieved, the second one has been ignored and violated. Powerful land developers and in some cases RAJUK itself has breached the land use zoning policy of Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and filled up the designated wetlands and flood flow zones which are mainly used as water retention zones. As a result, the drainage system of the city is facing obstruction and water congestion is becoming a very common chronic problem in Dhaka city. The water congestion situation of Dhaka city has reached a dangerous magnitude with the rapid unplanned urbanization. The present paper will try to focus on how the failure of Detailed Area Plan has impacted the water congestion scenario of Dhaka city which is increasing day by day as low lying water retention areas of the surrounding areas of Dhaka city are being filled up.
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