Rains of September
The reasons underlying this state of affairs has been written and spoken about by experts and others in many forums. One point may have been missed the regular re-carpeting of the roads.
Under our monsoon conditions, the asphalt concrete (the black top) is subject to disintegration, creating potholes. Every few years all major roads are re-carpeted. And, every time this is done the level of the roads is raised by 50 to 75cm. This, in turn, leads to disruption of the drainage regime and gradual narrowing of the drainage portals alongside the roads. Unless this practice is discontinued the rains of last September would soon be seen to have been a matter of minor inconvenience.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. It is high time we considered alternative technologies. Re-carpeting should be done after removing the old asphalt concrete. Technologies exist which allow for reuse of the old asphalt material and is in use all over the world.
Things have changed and we have to change too . Never before has the Caribbean been battered by two major cyclones in a month. Never before has Dhaka been deluged by 350mm of rain in a day. Never before has the necessity of tackling the drainage problem of the city been more acute. Inaction will only bring more misery .