No corruption in city corporation service delivery anymore: Mayor Taposh

A year after taking charge as Dhaka South City mayor, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh says there is no longer any massive corruption in the delivery of services at the city corporation.

In an interview the mayor said the mischief of corrupt people had stopped because he did not “leave anyone out”.

“I have acted on any illicit activities that I have known about,” said Taposh.

The former lawmaker from a Dhaka constituency took charge on May 16 last year and the initiatives he has taken since have drawn both praise and criticism in equal measure.

What did you want to achieve in one year and how successful have you been?

We wanted to ensure basic services such as mosquito extermination, waste management, streetlights, road repair and elimination of waterlogging. These were the priorities in my first year, as per my election manifesto, and I think I have been successful in keeping my promises amid the pandemic.

Mosquito infestations were brought under control through taking effective measures under a work plan throughout the year. There were no deaths due to dengue from May to September last year, which is the Aedes mosquito breeding period.

Waste used to be lying around everywhere on city streets, and we have already managed the issue by installing secondary waste transfer stations. Each ward will soon have such a station. We currently have 24 stations and the remaining 51 will be built gradually. Plans to modernize waste management by procuring some instruments are also in the pipeline.

There have been no complaints about street lights since we began monitoring them regularly. Road repairs are progressing, as Tk100 crore of projects are ongoing in 75 wards.

Waterlogging is a very old problem faced by city dwellers, and it is being solved as we have taken many initiatives after getting the canals and drainage system from Dhaka Wasa. We have removed 100,000 tons of waste and 700,000 tons of clay alluvium from canals and also cleaned the box culverts from January to April.        

Can the capital’s perennial waterlogging problem finally be ended?

We have already cleared the downstream drain and are working upstream to ease water flow by repairing water pumps and the drainage system, which were not managed properly for many years. Around 30 pumps will be purchased, and we are also developing some infrastructure to tackle severe waterlogging.

We are confident as we are continuing to work on this, but there have been some challenges with the Hatirjheel project. Water has been flowing slowly there due to some sort of restriction, and we have sent a letter to the authorities concerned to address the issue before the rainy season. They are yet to respond.

Will it be possible to retain the canals that have been rescued?

Yes, it is possible. We have taken up a project to the tune of Tk979 crore for the management and beautification of the rescued canals. We have a plan to keep the canals free from illegal grabbing. We will create an aesthetic and beautiful environment. As part of the long term plan, the canals’ banks will be connected with a six lane road, including a cycle lane.

Were you able to root out corruption from the city corporation as promised?

There is no longer any massive corruption in the delivery of services at the city corporation. The mischief of corrupt people has stopped because I did not leave anyone out. There may still be some sneezing under the table, but I have acted on any illicit activities that I have known about. The desire to work has returned among our officials, and we are trying to create an environment that facilitates work.

Why have the drives to evict illegal shops stopped?

This is a misunderstanding. We will continue the eviction drives at the listed 26 markets under the city corporation at any cost. We are taking some time as some repair work has been going on.

Our engineering department has floated tenders to repair and renovate Phulbaria Market after it was demolished. The repairs will allow legitimate shopkeepers to run their businesses properly.

What about the drives to remove illegal overhead cables?

I have faced a lot of pressure from stakeholders over the removal of overhead cables, but I must achieve the goal. Internet service providers and other stakeholders have been asked to remove overhead cables by March 30 after the deadline was extended several times. They are set to start installing underground cables, but it has been delayed due to the pandemic.

What new things are on the horizon for Dhaka City?

Dhaka city will be developed by following a master plan and, for the first time, we have already floated a tender to formulate a master plan for the capital. The deadline to submit the proposal is likely in May and the assessment will be conducted in June-July. The nominated organization can start work from July or August.

The master plan will help to build Dhaka as a modern city. Currently, different organizations implement projects as they wish, which will not be possible anymore once the master plan is prepared. The master plan will carry a development map for the next 30 years. The plans will be executed phase by phase to achieve the goal of a better Dhaka.