High-rise boom leaves Uttar Badda facing water shortage

Moynarbagh in Uttar Badda under DNCC is facing an acute water crisis as rapid construction of high-rise buildings and a growing population put increasing pressure on limited supply. Residents say the water infrastructure has failed to keep pace with urban expansion, while plans for a new deep tube well remain stalled over land constraints.

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has yet to expand supply sufficiently, leaving households dependent on an overstretched system.

A small deep tube well is now one of the area’s principal sources of water. During periods of peak demand, residents say, supplies can fall short of what is needed to fill buildings’ reserve tanks, forcing households to store water whenever it becomes available.

“Having a reserve tank does not help if there is not enough water to fill it,” said one resident of a multi-storey building. “Sometimes we have to wait for water. It becomes difficult to manage daily needs when the supply is inadequate.”

For Rahmat Ali, a local businessman, the problem reflects a wider failure to match infrastructure investment with the pace of construction.

“There are now multi-storey buildings everywhere and the population has increased. But the water supply system has not expanded accordingly,” he said, adding, “When there is no water, even cooking becomes difficult. Yet we pay our water bills regularly.”

Sabbir Haque, a private-sector employee, said residents have adapted by stockpiling water whenever supplies return. “Whenever water comes, we try to collect as much as possible because we do not know when the supply will be adequate again,” he said.

WASA officials familiar with the situation say another deep tube well is needed. But finding land for one has emerged as a critical constraint. Government- or WASA-owned vacant plots are scarce in the densely built-up neighbourhood, while installing a pump on private land requires the owner’s consent.

The result is a growing infrastructure paradox: Demand for water is rising precisely as the physical space required to expand the network is disappearing.

Moynarbagh falls under Ward 21 of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and is served by WASA’s MODS Zone-8. Residents argue that new high-rise development should be matched by corresponding investment in water and sewerage infrastructure.

Anupam Kumar Mondal, executive engineer of MODS Zone-8, declined to comment when contacted.

The problem extends beyond Moynarbagh. Dhaka’s rapid densification is exposing a basic urban-planning dilemma: Development can proceed vertically, but essential infrastructure still needs space on the ground.