US embassy cable - 05DHAKA3249

UNCLAS DHAKA 003249 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, EAID, ECON, ENRG, SENV, TPHY, BG, BGD Floods 
SUBJECT: FIRST RAINS BRING FLOODS TO BANGLADESH, 
PREPARATIONS DEEMED INADEQUATE 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Despite record-breaking floods during last 
year's monsoon season, national and local Dhaka governments 
appear ill prepared to prevent floods this year.  Prime 
Ministerial promises not-withstanding, media and BDG sources 
report that water pumps have not been upgraded or serviced, 
solid waste was not removed, drains were not cleaned and 
illegal structures were not cleared in advance of the summer 
rains.  The recent heavy rain, first of the season, has 
already resulted in severe flooding and the displacement of 
thousands of people.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) Several decades ago, the international development 
community provided technical and procurement assistance to 
the Bangladeshi government to build dams and install pumps 
designed to prevent the regular floods Dhaka experiences 
during the monsoons.  Since then, poor maintenance of these 
systems, inadequate urban planning and intense population 
pressures, have led to the return of the annual summer 
floods. 
 
3. (U) This year, though the rains came late, the floods came 
early.  With the first heavy rain, canals in some areas 
reportedly rose up to four feet above their normal level. 
Most of the less water-logged areas drained within a few days 
but some areas were still under significant amounts of water, 
almost a week later. 
 
4. (SBU) As of June 20, newspapers were reporting that WASA 
(Water and Sewage Authority) was planning to move up to 15 
temporary water pumps to the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra area 
(DND), one of several locations that flooded badly in last 
year's monsoon.  As of July 3, when the first heavy rains of 
this summer began, these pumps had not been installed. 
Sources at WASA confirmed July 7 that five of these pumps had 
only just arrived in DND, and an additional eight had yet to 
be delivered by the Water Development Board (WDB).  None have 
been installed. 
 
5. (SBU) Newspapers reported that after two days of recent 
heavy rains, "tens of thousands" of residents were marooned 
in DND, leaving boats as the only means of transportation 
through the streets and that many residents fled to stay with 
relatives in other parts of the city.  No deaths have been 
reported. Despite the flooding, WDB's Executive Engineer 
Mohammad Alauddin maintains that the situation was 'still 
under control.' 
 
6. (SBU) Superintendent Engineer for WASA, Kamrul Chowdhury, 
explained that the pumps were brought to DND only 
temporarily, despite a perennial need, to prevent their theft 
if left unattended.  Even during the flood season, when need 
is at its height, piping and parts are taken from the 
unguarded machines.  Chowdhury reported that WASA had applied 
for Japanese development agency funding for an additional 
permanent pump in the Dhoikal and Khaliampur areas of the 
capital and to the World Bank for two additional permanent 
pumps in Rampura and Kamalapur neighborhoods of Dhaka. 
 
7. (U) The lack of adequate permanent pump facilities is only 
one element causing the flooding.  Debris in and around 
drains, which are only sporadically cleaned, blocks the 
drains, sewers, and draining areas leading to pumps.  Much of 
Dhaka's wetlands, which would provide natural drainage, have 
been filled in for buildings and roads due to an influx of 
people into the city.  Illegal structures block water flow 
into those rivers, wetlands and canals that have not been 
filled in or paved over, further compounding flooding 
conditions. 
CHAMMAS