As the sluice gates stay shut, Dhaka gets deluged

Every monsoon, Dhaka dwellers keep asking the same question: Why does Dhaka continue to drown during the rains which is easily manageable? 

Recent monsoon downpours, which left roads submerged and neighbourhoods paralysed, was manifestly intense. 

Yet the rain alone is not the culprit. What troubles us even more is the shocking fact that more than half of the city's sluice gates are either partially functional or completely out of service. This is not merely a technical failure rather, a glaring example of neglected urban infrastructure that has turned a natural event into a recurring civic disaster.

However, sluice gates are not eye-catching pieces of infrastructure , and they do not command headlines until they fail. Their purpose is simple but indispensable - to regulate discharge of rainwater and prevent water from backing up into the city. When only 19 of Dhaka's 41 sluice gates are fully operational, it is hardly surprising that floodwater remains trapped on roads and in residential areas for hours , to even days. And the repercussions are visible in every inundated street, stranded commuters to shuttered business to overwhelmed markets and hospitals.

We believe the recent flooding has exposed a disturbing truth that policymakers can no longer ignore. A drainage system is only as strong as its weakest link. Even if drains are cleaned regularly and pumping stations operate at full capacity, dysfunctional sluice gates create bottlenecks that prevent rainwater from flowing out efficiently into surrounding rivers. Moreover, as heavy rainfall increases with changing climate patterns, these failures will become even more costly unless urgent action is taken.The situation turns from bad to worse by ageing infrastructure, clogged drains and inadequate pumping capacity. 

However, these challenges should not become excuses for justifying inoperable sluice gates. Unlike broader urban redevelopment, repairing or replacing defective gates is a practical and achievable task that can yield immediate benefits. 

The point , however, though it is encouraging that studies are exploring long-term drainage reforms, but Dhaka cannot afford to wait for years while another monsoon season passes under the same vulnerabilities.

Need of the hour demands to launch an emergency programme dedicated to restoring every inoperative sluice gate before the next period of heavy rainfall. Procurement delays must be minimised, repair contracts fast-tracked and sufficient funding allocated fast by cutting all unnecessary bureaucratic red-tapes. Equally important is to ensure routine inspections and preventive maintenance , so that gates do not fall into disrepair again. Modern monitoring systems, capable of identifying mechanical faults before complete failure, should become a standard feature rather than an afterthought.

To finish with , Dhaka cannot control the rains, but it can certainly control how prepared it is to face it. Restoring every sluice gate to full working order will not eliminate flooding altogether, but it will significantly strengthen the city's first line of defence. In case we fail to act decisively today, we will simply be condemning ourselves to relive the same avoidable misery every monsoon.