Water pumps at the Rampura WASA pumping station on the bank of Begunbari canal in the city are left without cleaning and proper maintenance. The photo was snapped on Friday. — New Age photo

Government agencies responsible for maintenance of drainage in the capital seem to be sluggish in their preparation for addressing water stagnation in the city in the upcoming rainy season.
New Age has found that two of pumping stations, used to pump out stagnated water, are yet to be cleaned and the drains and canals in most of the areas where water stagnation is a permanent problem have not been cleared of rubbishes.
Surface drains in different areas like Dhanmondi, Motijheel, Mugdapara, Khilgaon, Rampura, Moghbazar, Banglamotors and Old Dhaka are still filled with wastes. 
However, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority managing director Taqsem A Khan said this year they would not clear some pumping stations as it was not necessary.
Additional chief waste management officer of Dhaka’s two city corporations Syed Qudratullah told New Age in May that representatives of the Dhaka South City Corporation, the Dhaka North City Corporation and DWASA met in April at the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry to take preparatory measures to ensure quick disposal of rainwater.
He said regional officers in the 10 zones of the city corporations were cleaning and clearing the surface-level drains which would be completed by June 30.
In the rainy season, from June to September, the city’s many roads, especially those at Shantinagar, Mouchak, Siddheshwari, Dhanmondi, Jhigatola, Lalmatia, Goran, Rampura, Banasree and parts of Old Dhaka, go under water even after moderate rainfall.
The DWASA, responsible for looking after the city’s underground drainage system, had two permanent stations at Dholaikhal and Kallayanpur and two temporary ones at Rampura and Janapath to pump out the rainwater.
Taqsem A Khan told New Age on May 20 that they had already started working to make the pumps fully operational during the rainy season.
‘But in some places we will not use the pumps as it is not necessary,’ he added.
New Age, however, found the two temporary pumping stations far from being ready to operate effectively.
The Rampura Drainage Pumping Station, situated on the Rampura Bridge, has 50 pumps to drain out water during the rainy season.
However, the place around the pumping station is covered with wastes, soil and weeds which, unless cleared, will prevent the pumps from functioning properly.
A pump security guard told New Age in May that labourers would start cleaning the adjacent areas in the next month.
The Janapath Drainage Pumping Station at Titipara in Kamalapur has 11 pumps to remove stagnated water during the rainy season.
It pumps the extra water into a canal known as Janapath which was seen full with rubbish and debris at different points.
But both of the pumps were not cleaned till Friday.
An employee of a re-fuelling station besides the Janapath pump told New Age on Friday that he did not see any WASA or city corporation workers to clean either the drains or surface drains in the area.
Shahen Ara, a Khilagaon Taltola area resident, said she did not see any drain cleaning works so far this year.
Omar Faruk, a ticket seller at Rampura Bridge area, said lower areas of Rampura, including Ulan Road and East Rampura, go under water even after a brief shower.
‘Surface drains are still full with wastes at different lanes of Chakbazar, Becharam Dewri and Moulobhibazar areas,’ said Humayun Kabir a Chakbazar resident.