International Journal of Humanities and S ocial Sciences (IJHSS) ISSN(P): 2319 - 393X; ISSN( E ): 2319 - 3948 Vol. 5, Issue 3 , Apr - May 2016; 105 - 114 © IASET

REANIMATING OF SMALL STAGNANT WATERBODIES OF CHITTAGONG: CASE STUDY ON ASKER DIGHI AND RANIR DIGHI

KUHELI, CHOWDHURY & HOSSAN MURAD Lecturer, Department of Architecture, Premier University, Chittagong, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

Within a process of rapid urbanization, Chittagong city is faced with the constant threat of encroachment of land and Waterbodies like , dighi s , canals and rivers by the public and private sectors to accommodate housing and commercial facilities to the growing population. T his phenomenon is changing the landscape of the city in to a mixed use pattern. Therefore, this study aims to raise the level of attention on revitalizing the threatened small stagnant Waterbodies and bring them into planning framework to regenerate. This paper is based on a comprehensive study on the area including field survey; public - specialists’ interviews and secondary data has been collected from different online resources, Chittagong development authority, published documents and books. After a dept h analysis, it indicates that the uncontrolled and unauthorized growths of different urban amenities are rapidly diminishing this Waterbodies . There has no visual connectivity; illegal settlements are encroaching by grabbing the . This paper will final ly propose an appropriate revitalization strategy based on SWOT analysis of these dighis (large pond) which might be helpful for the planners and policy makers to articulate sustainable urban development policies.

KEYWORDS: Encroachment, Revitalization, Re generate, Stagnant, Urban Amenities, Urbanization

INTRODUCTION

Centralized in the urbanized area, People are not aware of some spaces which are titled lost dighis and the trend is continuing. As a result, the problem of degenerating water courses in urban areas is unchecked . Chittagong is a major coastal seaport city which is located on the banks of the Karnaphuli River between the Chittagong hill track and the Bay of Bengal. But this city has completely lost its image of “Venice of the East o r the City of Channels” which presently stands as “City of Concrete”. Recentl y a growth pattern of this city severely compresses its resilience and thus the city’s liability. A city requires 25 percent open spaces including vegetation and water to keep it geographically and environmentally fit. Chittagong is far away from thi s required percentage. Not only that but there were nearby 16,000 ponds in and around the city even 28 years back, but rampant filling of the Waterbodies has sharply reduced the figure to 1,000. it’s evident that Chittagong citizens forgot about the existen ce of most of the inner cit y Waterbodies or at least avoid visiting them and few people have seen to care about water issues . The lack of Waterbodies causes more and more problems during the rainy season. Flood occurs during heavy rainfall and every day at a fixed time, tidal water comes from the river and overflows the roads. Water logging is a common issue for this city. Public open spaces around the Waterbodies are abounded. Most of the cases th ese are turned into vehicular access and illegal settlements. So provide opportunities or proper use this Waterbodies to reshape an urban center by which it can attract people back to the public realm . Cities are growing fast and to keep them right track rethinking and reanimating the stagnant Waterbodies are necessary. Fr o m t his a ss e s s m e n t w e h a v e s e l e c t ed t o s tud y o n two ( o . 7 7 – 2 . 0 4 acre s ) p o n d s acc o r d i n g t o th e i r

www.iaset.us [email protected] 106 Kuheli, Chowdhury & Hossan Murad o w n e r s hi p p a tt e r n s , so c i a l , environmental p e r s p ec t i v e s and SWOT analysis .

METHODOLOGY AND OBJECTIVE

This study has regulated into 2 major phases to achieve following objective :

 T o r es t ore a nd con s er v e d e g r a ded s m all sta g nant ur ba n Waterbodies both f or f u n c t i on a l needs a s we l l as f o r r ec r e a t i on al a n d ae s t he t ic p u rpo s e s.

 Phase - 1 is to identify the present physical condition of ponds from user’s perspective and also point out the problems, prospects.

 Phase - 2 is to focus some strategies for preservation and reanimating of these ponds and surroundings based on urban design element and criteria analysis.

This study is conducted based on both primary and secondary information. Primary data has been collected through questionnaires survey and secondary data has been collected from the Chittagong development authorities, municipality and different online sources. The planning strategies under this study are completely done by user’s opinion survey and urban design criteria analysis. To identify the existing difficulties of Ponds and surroundings, all urban design elements and criteria have been analyzed. To have th e public opinion, people from different ages have been interviewed to know their impression about the present condition of the sites. It investigated visitor’s ideas for preservation and r eanimating of the sites.

DEFINITION AND IMPORTANCE OF WATERBODIES

Different kinds of Waterbodies are seen in Bangladesh. On basis of size, they are categorized in six types. They are Doba, Pond, Dighi, Khal, and River . A P on d i s g e n era ll y d e s c r i b ed as a w a t er b o d y o f a s ma ll er si z e , ma n - ma d e o r d e v e l o p i n g i t fr o m it s n a t u r al o r i g in . Dighi is a Bengali term of pond but it’s bigger than Pond. I n th e p re s e n t s t u d y t h e t erm Dighi h as b een u s ed a s an w a t er b o d y i n th e u r b an a n d p e r i - u r b an a r ea and it also re f e rs t o a r e l a ti v e l y sh a l l o w bod y o f w a t er, c on t a in ed i n an e ar th en b a s in , n a t u r a l , re t a i n in g s e w a g e o r o r g a ni c w a st e w a t e r s t o s t a b l e th e w a t e rs a n d t o ma k e t h e m i n - o ffe n s i v e f o r d is c h a r g e i n t o r ec e i v in g w a t er b o d y o r o n l a n d t h r ou g h v ar io u s p h y s i ca l , c h e m i cal a n d b i o lo g i c a l p r o ce s s e s , i n v ol v ed t h er e i n . T h e r o l e o f th e Waterbodies i n u r b a n m i li eu i s m u l t i f ac e t ed s u ch a s s o c i a l , e c o l o g i c a l a n d ec on o m i cal i m p o r t a n ce. P on d s a r e n ow in c r e a s in g l y b e i n g crea t e d f o r ec os y st em s er v i ces a n d l e is u re ac ti vi ti e s . T h e m a j o r u s e i n o u r c o n t e x t u a l s e t t i n g i s b a t h i n g , c l ea n in g a n d o t h er re qu i r eme nt s . T h e m a j o r p r o d u c t i v e a c t i vi t y re l a t e d t o t h e s e po n d s i s f is h c ul ti v a t i on . E n v i r on me n t a l l y t h e s e s t a g n a n t dighi p l a y r ol e as c o n t r ol l e r s o f m i c r o c l i m a t e i n ma n y ca s es th e b a n k s o f th e s e Waterbodies are t h e o n l y sp aces f o r d e v e lop m e n t o f g r ee n e r y . Waterbodies are p r o t e c to rs o f b i o d i v e r si t y a n d rece p to r s f o r ra i n w a t er h a r v e s t i n g a n d m a i n t a i n i n g lo cal g r ou n d w a t er l e v e l s . In n e i g hb o r h oo d s c a l e , th e s e s t a g n a n t Waterbodies are a ls o act a s a ce n t re o f l o cal s o c i a l a n d c u ltu r a l ac t i vi ti e s . F in a l l y , th e s e Waterbodies a c t a s a s o u r ce o f w a t er f o r f i r e f i gh ti ng i n t h e c r ow d ed a n d o v e r - e x p a n d i n g u r b an are a s . A cc o r d i n g t o R a y & Ma j u m d er ( 2 00 4 ) th e i n t er - re l a t i o n o f an u r b a n w a t er b o d y w i t h e n v i r on me n t , ec o n o m y a n d so c i e t y i s :

Impact Factor (JCC): 2.7367 NAAS Rating : 3.19 Reanimating o f Small Stagnant Waterbodies o f Chittagong: Case Study o n Asker Dighi a nd Ranir Dighi 107

T a b l e 1 : R ol e o f P on d s i n U r b a n A r e a s ( R a y & M ajumd a r , 2 00 4 ) U r b an E nv i r on m e n t a l A c tiv i t i e s D e scri p t i on C o m po n e n t s A l ar g e n u m b e r o f p eo p l e f r o m l o w e r e co no m i c B at h i n g b ac k g r o un d u s e t he m f o r b at h i n g W as h i n g o f c l ot h e s , u t e n s i l s a n d o t h e r do m e s t i c W a te r R e s ou r ce W as h i n g r e qu i r e m e n t s R ai nw at e r A c t s a s r ai nw a t e r sto ra ge H a r v e s t i n g C li m a t e Waterbodies af f e c t l o c a l m i cro - cl i m a t e , m ak i n g i t C o n t r o l c oo l e r a n d s o o t h i n g Waterbodies p r ovi d e a n o p e n s p a c e , P r ovi d i n g r oo m O p e n s p a c e fo r a i r m ov e m e n t , Sp ac e fo r r e c r eat i o n a l u se . E nv i r on m e n t G e n e r a l l y t h e waterbodies b a n k s hav e tr e e p l a n ta t io n s , T ree s p r e s e r v i n g u r b a n n a t u re A qua ti c Waterbodies s upp or t m an y a qu a t i c a n d o t h e r s p e c i e s , a E col o g y r e c e p t ac l e o f b io d i v e rs i t y i n u r b a n co n t e x t E c o n o my F is h c u l tiv a tio n S o u rc e f o r l o c a l e m p l oy m e n t a n d g o o d p r o t e i n P eo p l e s p e n d t i m e si t t i n g aro un d t h e s e waterbodies . Co m m un i t y M an y waterbodies h a v e se at s aro un d t h e m a n d a r e a n G a t h e r i n g So ci a l i m p o r ta n t p l a c e f o r l oca l co m m un i t y gat h e r i n g . B eca us e o f o p e n s p a ce , t h e r e of t e n e x i s t m a n y cl ub s b y C l ub s t h e waterbody s i d e . F a ir s a r e o r ga n i z e d i n t h e o p e n sp a c e s i n f r o n t o f C u l t u re F ai r waterbodies I n co n g e st e d u r ba n area s , Waterbodies a r e v e r y F i r e S a f ety us e f u l a s a s o u r c e o f w a t e r s upp l y fo r e x t i n g u i sh i n g Ex t i n g u is h i n g fi r e.

CASE STUDIES

Chittagong h as dighis o f d i ffer e n t si z e s s p read w i t h i n i t s m u n i c i p al c o r po r a t i o n b ou nd ary ( und er i n s t it ut io n s l i k e un i v er s i t y , G o v t . o f f i c e s , u nd er m o s q u e s & t em p l e, u nd er v a r i o u s g a r d en a n d w i t h i n n e i g h b o r h o o d l e v e l ) w h i ch a re us e d a s m ul t i p l e r e so u rc e s . Two dighis o f d i ff e r e n t n e i g hbo r ho o d h as b een s e l e c t e d f o r t h e s t u d ies which are sequentially described in following:

Dighi - 1 - Asker Dighi

Location: Askerdighir Paar, Chittagong.

Area : 3 . 78 acres ( 659 ’ 6’’x262 ’ 1’’ )

Activities: Mixed - use.

Condition: Abandoned Space .

Surroundings: Mixed Use Settlement

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Chittagong Map (Location Map)

YEAR Length Width Area In1898 ______8.49 acre In 2000 722’ - 10” 319’ - 6” 5.01 acre In 2015 659’ - 6” 262’ - 1” 3.78 acre Source: Primary Survey, 2015

Dighi - 1 - Rani r Dighi

Location: Enayet Bazar, Chittagong.

Area : 44346 sft . ( 1.02 acres)(150’x280’)

Activities: Mixed - use.

Condition: Renovated.

Surroundings: Residential Settlement

Chittagong Map (Location Map)

Impact Factor (JCC): 2.7367 NAAS Rating : 3.19 Reanimating o f Small Stagnant Waterbodies o f Chittagong: Case Study o n Asker Dighi a nd Ranir Dighi 109

YEAR Length Width Area In1898 ______2.41 acre In 2000 1.22 acre

In 2015 2 8 0’ 1 60’ 1.02 acre Source: Primary Survey, 2015

ANALYSIS OF PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS Asker Dighi

Surrounded by Roads and primary, Secondary Circulation and Tertiary roads . Image - 1

Strength Image - 1

A mix used of commercial, residential, institutional and Land Use recreational development, the areas activity is more vibrant. There is a hill in Natural east side of the Resource dighi . No visual connection. Narrow pedestrian and no Roads and pedestrian Circulation walkways to ensure safe movement adjacent to vehicular roads.

Weakness Unplanned settlements are, encroached on the bank of dighi. Land Use Improper use of public and private land. Image - 2

Image - 2 www.iaset.us [email protected] 110 Kuheli, Chowdhury & Hossan Murad

The drainage system is not adequate for the dense neighborhood. The garbage disposal system is not Drainage And planned and remains Waste scattered and Management exposed in the System streets. Unhygienic environment. Water logging is a common issue for this phenomenon . Image - 3 Primary road beside the dighi. A eastern Opportunities hill is c onnected Image - 3 with dighi

Unplanned settlement and illegal slum are Threat encroached around the dighi. Dighi is getting smaller day by day. Image - 4

Image - 4 Source: Primary survey

Rani r Dighi building are faced towards the dighi Close to vibrant urban point ( Enayet bazar). Building Strength Dighi provides Orientation thermal comfort to the adjacent community. Helps in fire fighting system.

No visual Weakness connection

between dighi and main road .

Impact Factor (JCC): 2.7367 NAAS Rating : 3.19 Reanimating o f Small Stagnant Waterbodies o f Chittagong: Case Study o n Asker Dighi a nd Ranir Dighi 111

Paars are used as vehicular access and pathway .

No connection with

adjacent field.

Imbalance height of buildings obstruct the view of dighi from backward buildings

No walkway at

north - west corner.

Surrounding continuous boundary walls give appearance of a blocked space.

have many Opportunities connection roads with dighi

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Tendency of Threat increasing building height.

RECOMMENDED STRATEGY

This section briefly explains the revitalization strategy to reanimate the Dighi and the surroundings side area .The first thing comes in to consideration is to decontaminate the dighi, shape up the water - shade area, open it up and make it easy accessible to public.

F r o m t h e a b o v e a ss e s s m e n t i t i s e v i d e n t t h a t th e s e po nd s m a y n eed p re s c r i b ed rec o mm e nd a t i o n s s u ch a s f ol l ow in gs :

 R e s t o r a t i o n a nd c o n s er v a t i o n o f de g r a d ed s t ag n a n t urb a n dighis  Gu i de li nes f o r t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f e x i s t i n g p o nds t o s u s t a i n a b l e p o n ds  W a t er aer a tio n w hi c h w i l l in c r ea s e th e ox y g en s a tu r a t i o n o f w a t er.

 I nt r o du ce F i s h c u l t i v a ti o n f o r ec ono m i c a l s u st a i n a b il i t y

 E n h a n ce th e c o m m u ni t y g ar d en w i t h s m a l l m a r k et fa c i l i t i e s

 M od er a t e p l a n t ( a l g ae, m o s s o r w a t er g ra s s , w a t e r li l y , s mart w ee d , ar r o w h ead e t c . ) g r o w t h i s e ss e n t i a l t o Waterbodies f o r o x y g e n , f o o d a n d c o v er f o r f i s h a n d o t h e r a qu a t i c o r g a nis m s . B o i l i n g P o t a s s i u m - D i - C h r o m a t e sh ou l d i m p l y f o r r e d u c in g C O D l e v el u p t o zer o .

 T h e ef f ect iv e p o nd la nd s c a p e i n c l u des the p o nd a n d i t s im m e d i a te c a tch m ent  E n h a n ce th e c o m m u ni t y g a th e r i n g b y p r o m otin g w a l kw a y , c y c l e p a th s , s i tt i n g

 Crea t e a pl ace f o r p e o p l e f o r w a t c h i n g b i rd a n d w i l dl i f e, f o r f i s h in g , a n d o th er o u td o o r a c ti vi ti e s , su ch as s w i m m in g , because t h e p o n d i s l a r g e e nou g h , i t can b e e x pl o red b y bo a ti n g a l so.

 The dighis should have made accessible to the public realm, by increasing both - physical and visual connectivity between the water front and the neighborhood.

 The visibility is ensured by replacing high fences with low green hedges so that the dighis become s visible f ro m the periphery roads.

 Physical connectivity was achieved by insulating walk ways through the periphery of the water side and

Impact Factor (JCC): 2.7367 NAAS Rating : 3.19 Reanimating o f Small Stagnant Waterbodies o f Chittagong: Case Study o n Asker Dighi a nd Ranir Dighi 113

also approaching from the side roads from accessible locations.

 To make this links sustainable, some passive activities became a pre requisite along the walk ways.

 The circular path around the waterfront side acted as the - necklace and the facilities that generate moderate traffic resembled as the precious stone concerning the oneness of the sustainable issues.

 The scheme looked for some moderate function that will generate less traffic in the residential area.

 Functions like, Food kiosk. Drink corner. Small restaurants, Community boat club, Community health club, Open air theatre and children’s play area, can be distributed in different visually and spatially strategic locations throughout the development. The concept was to act these functions as attractor, to bring in more people in the wat er front side areas.

 A few large green spaces were selected in strategic locations with better visibility towards the and accessible from within the neighborhood. To avoid direct traffic flow from the busy and congested peripheral roads of the neighb orhood, contributing to the major road network of the city, the functions were embedded in more localized areas.

 Considering the management aspects of the project and to make it financially self sustainable, these facilities would generate income and hence could be maintained modestly by a public private partnership. In reality, the idea contributed to the restoration of the overall environmental quality of the serine lake side area.

CONCLUSIONS

In Chittagong, rampant expansion and commercial development are brutally transforming the urban tissue where the significance of these urban stagnant Waterbodies as water recourses is diminishing. The coordination between assigned government authorities fo r these ponds and private organization should be addressed to overcome alarming situation which will help to enhance the sustainability of the existing pond throughout the Chittagong. If they are not designed and managed properly, they can turn into liabil ity. Modernity coupled with an indigenous intelligence is indeed timeless and can guide Chittagong in the coming century.

Notes

 The term ‘Dighi’ is frequently used as a synonym for words such as big size pond  Khal, Beel are a Bengali word, meaning sma ll channel.

REFERENCES

1. Hossain.S ; January 2008; Rapid Urban Growth and Poverty in Dhaka City; Bangladesh e - Journal of Sociology. Volume 5 , Number 1. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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4. Novak, J.; 1993; Bangladesh: Reflections on the Water; The University Press Ltd.; Dhaka, Bangladesh. www.iaset.us [email protected] 114 Kuheli, Chowdhury & Hossan Murad

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7. D i n ar A , P S e i d l , H O l e m, V J o r d e n , A D a d a, R J oh n s o n . ( 19 95 ). R e s t o r i ng a nd p r o t e ct i ng the w o r l d’s l a kes a n d re s er v o i r s . W o r l d Ba n k T ec hn i c a l Pa p er N o . 2 89 . T h e W o r l d Ba n k , W a s h in gt o n D C, pp. 85 .

Impact Factor (JCC): 2.7367 NAAS Rating : 3.19