The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) meanwhile, are saying that they are implementing their plans to cut down waterlogging problems by evicting illegal structures on different canals of the city.

Wasa sources told Star City that cleaning of drainage pipes in Dhaka has started with 40 kilometers already covered. Another 60 kilometres of drainage pipes will be cleaned within this month.

The heavy rainstorm on April 26, the season's first nor'wester assault, recorded 45 millimeters of rainfall and it overflowed sewerage lines in many areas of the city. The heavy downpour caused serious waterlogging throughout Dhaka with roads and alleys of Tejgaon, Malibagh, Mouchak, Paltan, Shantinagar and some low areas dipping under five to six inches of water.

"This year we will mainly focus on evicting illegal structures over canals to clean them to ensure proper flow of water. We have also started cleaning box culverts," said Wasa drainage circle's superintending engineer Quamrul Alam Chowdhury.

WASA officials said that to speed up the cleaning procedure, a more co-ordinated approach should be taken between the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Wasa.

Meanwhile, residents from Gulshan, Shantinagar and Malibagh said that already some drains in their areas were overflowing.

Masud Ali, a businessman from Gulshan 1 said the drains infront of the Pizza Hut overflow quite frequently and bad smell pollutes the environment. "If these drains are not cleaned, roads on the eastern side of Gulshan Avenue will go under water the moment the rainy season arrives," said Ali.

Another resident said drain water along with stagnant rainwater would damage the environment. "Especially people living in slums in Badda will move on to the pavements and would encroach the side ways of road 113. This happen every year," he said.

The canal recovery drive began on March 29 at Mirpur. Dhaka Wasa in cooperation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), DCC and Dhaka district administration took the initiative.

Wasa on April 6 removed all permanent and temporary illegal structures built on bamboo poles between Harirampur-Anandanagar and the Dhaka-Aricha Highway and between Mirpur Bangla College and Dhaka-Aricha Highway via Tolarbagh. Most of these canals were found stacked with solid waste.

Quamrul Alam said that the encroached canals were filled with dirt in such a way that people could literally walk over them. He added that the cleaning work was going on in the old part of Dhaka from Narinda to Dholai Khal.