Great expectations!

A year of having two dynamic mayors has certainly given much hope to Dhaka's dwellers. They have managed to accomplish what their predecessors were not able to do. The odds have been formidable in a city that is unplanned, overpopulated and plagued with illegal occupiers, errant vehicle drivers, indiscriminate dumping of waste, clogged up water bodies and drains – the list of problems is endless. In this challenging scenario the mayors have done a commendable job. They have cleared up roads blocked by encroachers parking their trucks and buses for years on end. They have reclaimed some footpaths and parks, chalked out designated areas for waste dumping, built a few public toilets, installed garbage bins around the city, repaired and redecorated footbridges and even initiated drives to promote clean street food. All this they have accomplished in a year.

But given the humungous task they are expected to undertake with the limited resources and authority, it will be difficult for them to deliver on their promises without help from other government bodies. The uncoordinated, frequent digging by various utility agencies such as Wasa, BRTC and Titas Gas causes frequent damage to the roads for instance, as pointed out by the mayor of Dhaka South. It also causes immense suffering for the people who have to negotiate the treacherous, dug up roads that become virtual death traps, especially in the rainy season. Even staff of the city corporations do not do their work properly – out of 4,500 cleaners at least 300 remain absent each day.

It is crucial, therefore, that the city mayors are equipped with the resources in terms of funds and manpower, authority to carry out their improvement drives and most of all, a coordinated, cooperative group of the utility agencies. Without these basic tools, the mayors cannot do their job the way the people expect them to.