Causes and Consequences of Water pollution:

A study in Dhaka City

JAGANNATH UNIVERSITY
 A REPORT
ON
Causes and Consequences of Water pollution:
A study in Dhaka City

Course Code- 3205

Course Title- Research Monograph

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Md. Rafiqul Islam Md. Emon Hasan

Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
Jagannath University
Dhaka.
3rd Year, 2nd Semester
Roll No- 112880
Registration No- 1101182880
Session- (2010-2011)
Department of Sociology
Jagannath University
Dhaka.

JAGANNATH UNIVERSITY
Date of Submission: 3rd November, 2013
 Acknowledgement

First and foremost, I would like to express my debt of gratitude to my supervisor, Assistant
Professor Md. Rafiqul Islam, whose generous guidance and precious advice always kept
my bewildered thoughts towards an appropriate focus. I am also in debt to him for giving a
chance to make an important report on water pollution of Dhaka city. My sincere gratitude
goes to all the authorities of different development organizations (RAJUK, DCC,
BAPA,WASA, etc), all the experts in related field and general people living in different
parts of the city that provided me with important information, helpful discussion and
explanation, and valuable suggestion during the field work in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I would
like to express my special gratitude to Dr. K.M. Moniruzzama (Head, Department of Urban
and Regional Planning, WASA) and Dr. Roxana Hafiz (Associate Professor, Department of
Urban and Regional Planning, BUET) for their kind support to gather various information
about the water pollution of Dhaka city. I also give my thanks to them who helped to make
case study by giving their valuable opinion about water pollution.
 Abstract

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh is one of the populous Mega Cities in the world. As the
growth of urban population tacking place at an exceptionally rapid rate, the city is unable to
cope with changing situations due to their internal resource constraints and management
limitations. In recent years Dhaka City is facing extensive water pollution during the
monsoon (May to October) as a common and regular problem of the city like water pollution,
traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, solid waste disposal, black smoke etc. This paper
focuses on the rainfall induced flooding that is caused by high intensity storm rainfall runoff
in the city area that is inundated for several days mainly due to lack of proper drainage
system and inefficient management. It ascertain the inherent causes of such water pollution
and its effects on the city life from the perception of authorities of different development
organizations, experts and people living in different parts of Dhaka City. Heavy downpour
occurs in Dhaka City during monsoon, as it is located on the extensive flood plains of Ganges
and Brahmaputra. But the unplanned spatial development activities and growth of habitation
due to rapid population growth are causing encroachment on retention areas and natural
drainage paths with little or no care of natural drainage system that creating obstacles to
properly drained out the urban runoff. Therefore water pollution is tacking place as different
parts of the city remains inundated for several days. Inadequate drainage sections,
conventional drainage system with low capacity and gravity, natural siltation, absence of
inlets and outlets, indefinite drainage outlets, lack of proper maintenance of existing drainage
system, and over and above disposal of solid waste into the drains and drainage paths are
accounted for the prime causes of blockage in drainage system and water logging. In
addition, seasonal tidal effect and the topography of the city area also causing water
pollution.
 Abbreviation

DLRS- Directorate of Land Records and survey.

RAJUK- Rajdhani Unnayan katripakkha.
IWFM- Institute of Water and Flood Management.
DCC- Dhaka City Corporation.
BSTI- Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute.
DWASA- Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority.
GIS- Geographic Information System.
BOD- Biochemical Oxygen Demand.
COD- Chemical Oxygen Demand.
RO- Research osmosis.
WARPO- Water Resources Planning Organizations.
BWDB- Bangladesh Water Development Board.
WHO- World Health Organization.
IFCDR- Institute of Flood Control and Drainage Research.
NGO- Non Government Organization.
NWP- National Water Policy.
DOE- Department Of Environment.
DAP- Detailed Area Plan.
MOL- Ministry Of Land.
BIWTA- Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.
EIA- Environmental impact Assessment.
SIA- Social Impact Assessment.
 Table of Contents

CHAPTER-ONE 01-06

1.1 Introduction 02
1.2 Definition of Water Pollution 03
1.3 Objectives of the Study 04
1.4 Methodology of the Study 04
1.4.1 Data Collection 05-06
1.5 Rational of the Study 06
CHAPTER- TWO 07-21
2.1 Major Concepts of the Study 08
2.1.1 Different types of Water Bodies in Dhaka City 08-10
2.1.2 States of Water Pollution in Dhaka City 11-15
2.1.3 State of drinking water, supplied by WASA 15-16
2.1.4 Bottle Water 16-18
2.1.6 Types of causes of water pollution 18
2.2 Literature Review and Theoretical Framework 18-20
2.3 Limitations of the Work 20-21
CHAPTER- THREE 22-34

3.1 Data Analysis and Presentation 23

3.2 Causes of water pollution 23-29
3.3 Consequences of Water Pollution 29-32
3.4 Major Findings 32
3.4.1 State of the water of Lake of Dhaka city 32-33
3.4.2 Natural Drainage System of Dhaka city 34
 CHAPTER- FOUR 35-52
4.1 Conclusions 36
4.2 Recommendations 36-39
4.3 REFERENCES 39-40
4.4 Appendix 40
4.4.1 Questionnaire 40-42

4.4.2 Case Study 43-52

 List of Tables

Table-1 Physical Feature of Major canals (khal) of Dhaka city 09

Table-2 Physical Feature of Major Lakes of Dhaka city 10
Table-3 Average concentration of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) of 12
different rivers in different seasons from 2001 to 2003.

Table-4 Average concentration of Biological Oxygen Demand 13

(BOD) of different rivers in different seasons from 2001
to 2003
Table-5 Average concentration of pH in different rivers in 13-14
different: seasons from 2001 to 2003
Table-6 Heavy metal concentration in river water of Dhaka city 14
Table-7 Testing of one sample of drinking Water of WASA 15-16
Table-8 Testing of one sample of drinking Water of Mineral 16-17
Water
Table-9 Concentration of water quality indicators of Lake 33
Water of Dhaka city

List of Figures

Figure-2.1 Location Map of Dhaka City 08

Figure-2.2 Map of Dhaka Metropolitan Area 11
Figure-2.3 Land Of Dhaka City 32-33
Figure-2.4 Natural Drainage System of Dhaka City 34