The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC)'s announcement of four priorities to build Dhaka as “green city, clean city,” while encouraging on paper, must now be translated into sustained action in order to be taken seriously.
The blueprint -- focused on extensive tree planting, dredging and restoring canals, overhauling waste management, and tackling mosquito infestations -- hits all the right notes for a city choking on pollution, clogged waterways, and seasonal pests.
There is, however, reason to be wary: Well-intentioned priorities are not the same thing as meaningful change, and we've seen these plans fail repeatedly before they even reach an implementation stage.
If this city is to become genuinely greener and more livable, the four proposed “priority programs” must be backed by clear timetables, transparent budgets, and measurable milestones.
Tree planting must be matched with consistent, long-term care. Canal dredging should go hand in hand with sustained protection of waterways, so that restored channels remain functional and resilient.
Additionally, plans for modern waste management can only succeed when backed by active citizen participation and clear systems of accountability, and mosquito control efforts will truly make a difference when they are systematic, continuous, and grounded in preventive planning rather than occasional drives.
We are rightly sceptical, because previous commitments by civic authorities have all too often failed to translate into palpable improvements on the ground.
If the city corporation truly means business, it must shift its focus from rhetoric to results -- which would require strong political will, adequate resources, and relentless oversight.
Otherwise, these four priorities -- however well-crafted -- will end up as just another set of talking points rather than turning Dhaka into the green, clean metropolis every resident dreams of.
The time for discussions has long since passed; it is now imperative that these objectives be delivered in tangible, measurable ways.
